Don't Stop Believing
by julesmonster
Summary: Blaine is trying hard to win Kurt back now that they're both going to be in New York, but even if he does, life has a few surprises in store for them, and not all of them are good. Warnings: MPreg, Character Death (Not Kurt or Blaine).
1. Chapter 1

**Don't Stop Believing**

**By Julesmonster**

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, songs, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**A/N: **So, after the news broke about Cory, I think I was as devastated as anyone. I had already started working on this Kurt/Blaine story but the whole thing changed drastically after that because I simply had to express some of what I was feeling. I shed a few tears along the way and it was cathartic. I hope that you'll find some cleansing and healing from this story as well. Having said that, it isn't story that focuses on Finn and it probably has as much fluff as it does angst. Please excuse any inconsistencies in the tone.

This is MPreg and there are 7 parts plus a short epilogue. I hope you enjoy. Jules

**Part One**

The day was hot and more humid than any so far that summer. Then again, summer had really just begun. School had only let out the day before and there wasn't much going on in the small town of Lima, Ohio. Parents went to work. Kids went to daycare or summer camp. Only the teens without summer jobs were left to laze around their houses and try to avoid the stifling heat. No one was loitering in the park or outside the convenience stores. There were a few teens at the mall, where it was air conditioned, but most stayed at home, sleeping in late and savoring the long summer break that had just begun.

Blaine Anderson wished that he was among their ranks. He would much rather be holed up in his bedroom than out in the heat. Sure his car had air-conditioning, but he had neglected to get the Freon recharged and it was giving out weak, temperate gusts at best. He should have let Burt Hummel look over his car, like the man had offered weeks ago, but he hadn't wanted to further intrude upon the man's generosity. Especially after their disastrous conversation where Blaine had asked Burt for his blessing to ask Kurt to marry him. Burt had been kind about it, but it was obvious that he thought Blaine was crazy to even contemplate such a thing. After all, he and Kurt still very young and weren't even officially together.

Blaine pulled his car into a parking space outside a rather nondescript commercial building in the heart of downtown Lima and pulled out the ever-present ring box from his messenger bag. Blaine didn't go anywhere without that ring these days. No one else may accept or understand it, not even Kurt, but Blaine knew that they were meant to be together for the rest of their lives. He refused to allow one mistake—even one as seemingly unforgivable as cheating—to ruin their chance to be happy together.

Blaine checked the dashboard clock and sighed. He was still a few minutes early for his appointment. But he would rather wait inside where the air-conditioning presumably worked better than his car. He checked his appearance in the visor mirror and figured he didn't look too wilted considering the heat. Besides, he wasn't trying to impress anyone. This meeting was merely a formality.

Blaine climbed from his car and locked it, the ring now nestled safely in his pocket, before heading for the front doors of the building. Once inside the lobby, he looked over the list of businesses until he found the location of Meisner, Mitchell, and Haile. He took the elevator to the fifth floor and found the suite of offices that housed the law firm. It didn't take much work since it was the only business on that floor.

The reception area was decorated in modern minimalism and Blaine thought that Kurt would love it. But that was a passing thought as he was greeted by the receptionist and almost immediately escorted to a conference room. It too was elegantly and modernly furnished. Blaine wasn't really surprised. His family would only hire the best legal representation in the state. What surprised him more was the fact that the best happened to be in Lima, rather than Columbus.

"Blaine?" A man said as he entered the room. He looked to be in his forties, but was in good shape and dressed impeccably. Kurt would definitely approve of his Zegna suit. "I'm James Haile."

Blaine shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you Mr. Haile."

"James is fine," James said with a smile. "Did Cathy offer you refreshments?"

Blaine nodded with a small smile. "She said she would bring it back. I don't think either of us thought you would be quite so quick arriving."

Just then, the door opened and Cathy carried in a bottle of water for Blaine and a coffee for James. She excused herself again and closed the door behind her. Blaine took a drink of his water while James flipped through several files that he had brought into the room with him.

"So, you're 18 as of November 8, 2012, is that correct?" James asked.

"That's correct," Blaine agreed.

"And you've graduated high school?" James asked.

Blaine nodded. "Graduation was yesterday. I was named salutatorian for McKinley's class of 2013. I graduated with a GPA of 4.217."

James looked up from his files and smiled. "Impressive. Any college plans?"

Blaine grinned at that. "I was recently accepted at NYADA. That was my first choice, but they don't offer early decision and they notify later than most schools. I have received acceptance letters from several other schools, but they were definitely only a backup option."

"So you'll be starting at NYADA come September," James said with a nod. "I've heard some pretty good things about the school, but it is limited on career options following graduation."

Blaine shrugged. "I can get a teaching certification in case performing doesn't work out. Or they offer undergraduate degrees in entertainment management, arts education and theater management. But I'm honestly not ready to settle for second choice." In more ways than one, Blaine thought to himself as he pictured Kurt's smile. "I know what I want and I'm prepared to do what it takes to get it."

James considered him for a moment and then smiled. "You seem very determined, and I'm confident you'll succeed. Hopefully what I have to tell you today will help you on the road to success. As you probably know, your great grandmother passed away several years ago."

"I was ten," Blaine said as he remembered the woman who had always been so encouraging. He often wondered if she had known he was gay. "She was always the most...normal person in our family. She wasn't concerned with appearances or impressing the neighbors or business associates. She's the one who encouraged me to keep up with my piano, guitar, violin, dance and voice lessons. In fact, I'm pretty sure that she paid for them, at least in the beginning. And she came to every recital up until the day she died." _Unlike my parents_, he thought to himself. "I still miss her."

James nodded. "Well, based upon the stipulations in her will, it's very obvious that she loved you as well. At the time of her death, Ada Devon was worth approximately $187 million. A little less than a third of that was distributed to other family members and various charities. The remaining $127 million and change was put into trust for you, Blaine."

Blaine blinked. "I... that can't be right. I mean, I knew Nana had a little money, but she always lived modestly. No one... I remember my father saying that they were lucky to have gotten as much from her estate as they did, because she was never good with money."

"Well, that is in part because she didn't want anyone to know what her net worth was, including her family," James said. "In addition, her will stipulated that no one, not even your parents, were to know the extent of your inheritance."

"Why?" Blaine asked, bewildered.

"There is a letter that she left for you, but I can tell you the reasons she gave me when we arranged for the trust," James said. "She loved you very much and was afraid that because you were different, because you didn't fit the expectations of the family, that you might one day be disowned. So she provided for you. And she made your money completely untouchable until you were both 18 years of age and had graduated from high school."

"So, how much are we really talking about?" Blaine asked. There were so many thoughts running through his mind, but he would have to think about them later.

"The current value of the trust is estimated at $257 million," James said. "It has been managed quite well by Ada's investment firm out of New York. When the time comes, I can put you in touch with them, and you may either retain their services directly or find another firm. But that won't be for a few years yet."

Blaine nodded as he tried to formulate his thoughts into coherent questions. "I have friends who have trust funds and know that there are usually limits to what you can access?"

James nodded. "That's true in this case as well, though Ada was rather lenient with her stipulations. You will receive a monthly allowance of $15,000. In addition, all of your school bills should be redirected to my attention so that I can pay them. Finally, she specifically noted that you are to have access to up to $20 million to purchase and decorate a home. She said she thought you would probably head for New York and, considering real estate prices there, wanted you to be able to buy something nice."

Blaine felt tears forming as everything his Nana had done for him really hit him. "That's a lot to take in."

"It is," James agreed. "And there is more to consider. If you choose not to purchase a place right away, the trust will pay your rent the same way it does your school bills. Also, your allowance will increase by $1000 a month each year until you either graduate from college or turn 25, whichever comes first. At that time, half of the trust will be released to you for you to do with as you please. When you turn 35, again half of the remaining trust will be released. For each child you either parent or adopt legally, a trust of $20 million will be arranged from the main trust and if you are still receiving an allowance at that time, it will increase by 50% to cover any additional costs for raising a child. Any money that is still remaining in the trust will be released to you in full on your fortieth birthday."

"What if I get married?" Blaine asked.

"Assuming you are still receiving an allowance at the time of your marriage, it will again increase by 50%," James said. "Are you planning to get married any time soon?"

"I don't know how soon it will actually happen, but I'm hoping it will be sooner than later," Blaine said. He reached into his pocket and just felt the ring box there. It soothed his nerves.

"If you do, I would strongly suggest getting a prenuptial agreement," James said. "However, there is no requirement for one in the terms of Ada's will."

"I'll think about it," Blaine said. But in his mind he knew he would never ask Kurt to sign such a document. If they got married, Blaine knew that it would last a lifetime. And if it didn't, he would rather know that Kurt didn't have to worry about money. He would gladly give him half of everything.

James nodded. "Okay, so now we get down to the nitty-gritty details. I'll need your bank information so that I can arrange for the monthly transfer into your account. In addition, if you choose to change banks upon your move to New York, you'll have to update the information. And we'll go over and I'll have you sign the many documents necessary to make this all legal and binding."

**GLEE**

Blaine looked at the sealed envelope in his hand. James Haile had given it to him, along with a lot of legal papers, almost a week before and Blaine had yet to open it. It was a letter from his great grandmother. Nana. Even 8 years after her death, he still missed her like crazy. She was the one person who understood his love of music. She was the one person who always accepted him no matter what. She never tried to change him. In fact, she was the only person in Blaine's life who had adored his wild curls and his penchant for bow ties. Not even Kurt knew that most of Blaine's bow ties were either bought by Nana or given to him by her from his great grandfather's old wardrobe.

Ada Devon had loved Blaine more than any other person, until Kurt. And now that he had a letter from her, he was afraid that maybe there was something in there that might make him doubt that love, or disprove the idealized image he had of her.

"What's that?" Kurt asked as he entered Blaine's bedroom. Blaine hadn't been expecting the other boy for an hour and hadn't even heard the doorbell ring.

"Kurt?" Blaine said with surprise as he sat up quickly and tucked the letter under his pillow. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour."

Kurt must have noticed this unsubtle move because he said, "I got finished with work early and the housekeeper was sweeping the front step when I arrived. Now, are you going to answer the question or should we pretend that I bought that poor attempt to change the subject?"

Blaine bit his bottom lip before nodding reluctantly. "It's a letter from Nana."

Kurt frowned as he joined Blaine on the bed. "Your great grandmother, right? The one who left you the trust fund you met with the lawyer about last week? Why haven't you opened it yet?"

"That's what I was just thinking about," Blaine shrugged as he got up to start pacing the room. "I... I guess I'm scared. I've always thought that maybe she knew I was gay and accepted me anyway, but what if she didn't? What if there's something in this letter that totally changes my perceptions about her?"

"What if you open the letter and find out that she loved you and wouldn't have cared if you loved boys?" Kurt said as he stood and pulled Blaine to a stop. "Blaine, open the letter."

Blaine bit his lip again but picked up the letter opener off of his desk and neatly sliced open the envelope. The paper inside was slightly yellowed with age, but was obviously of good quality. Blaine took a deep breath and looked up at Kurt. "Read it with me?"

Kurt smiled and grabbed Blaine's empty hand. They walked back to Blaine's bed and sat side by side as Blaine gently unfolded the letter. It wasn't very long and it only took a few minutes to read it clear through.

"Well, it seems pretty clear that she at least suspected that you were gay," Kurt said. "She said she hopes you find a husband or wife who can love you the way you deserve to be loved. That seems pretty clear to me."

"Yeah, but what's the rest of this?" Blaine asked, referring to the post script at the bottom of the page. All it said was National Trust Bank, 7449 5th Avenue, NY, NY followed by a series of numbers.

"Well, it's some numbers and the name of a bank in New York," Kurt said. "I would say that you'll have to go to there to find out."

"But why wouldn't she just explain? Or give whatever to the lawyer to handle." Blaine wondered.

"I don't know," Kurt sighed. "But maybe you should wait until you get there. It might be obvious once see whatever it is she left. And for now, you and I still have a lot of sorting and packing to do if you're going to be ready to go in three days."

Blaine had to agree. He was only bringing a few suitcases with him on the plane, but once he found a place to live—and convinced Kurt to move in with him—the rest of his things would be shipped and needed to be packed.

"Okay, let's get to work."

**GLEE**

It actually didn't take much to convince Kurt that they should move in together. Since Santana had moved into the loft in Bushwick, things had gotten really crowded and Kurt was ready to let the girls manage without him. They could afford it, especially now that Rachel had been cast as Fanny Bryce and Santana had a regular income as a personal assistant to some high powered talent agent. She had even agreed to go to college in the evenings since the woman thought Santana had potential to go far and was going to pay for her education.

So, getting Kurt to move in wasn't a problem, but getting him to agree to let Blaine pick the place was a little trickier. In the end, Kurt's busy summer work schedule at Vogue made it easier. Blaine simply went out house hunting while Kurt was at work and promised to let Kurt see the place before signing a lease. Since Blaine didn't plan on renting, he figured he could get by on a technicality if he had to, but he would more than likely fess up before putting in an offer.

Blaine wasn't sure why he hadn't told Kurt about the true size of his trust fund, but he was reluctant to bring it up. Since he had told Kurt before the meeting that he expected it to be similar to what Cooper had gotten—about $500,000—Kurt didn't bother to ask more. But if Blaine found the perfect home for them, he was going to buy it. He'd deal with the fallout later.

Looking for a place to live in Manhattan was not an easy task, even with such a large budget. Blaine was glad that he had taken the summer off to do just that. He met with the realtor almost every day and the saw place after place. He explored a lot of neighborhoods in Manhattan, trying to find one that he thought could be homey for he and Kurt but still relatively close to school.

It took nearly a month of hunting, but he finally found a place that he thought was perfect. Located on Central Park West, it was a pre-war building that had been updated to include all the luxuries that many of the newer high-rises offered, including a doorman, 24 hour security, a fitness center, and a pool.

The apartment itself took up an entire floor. Like many of the buildings of that era, it was built in tiers. The apartment was on the lowest level of the top tier, which meant that it not only had terraces on all four sides, but it had great views of the park and the city.

The public living spaces all opened up into each other, but had pocket doors that could be closed off for privacy. The foyer opened up into the huge living room with floor to ceiling windows with panes framed in black. It also had a large gas fireplace. The library was tucked back off the living room to the left of the foyer and had another gas fire place. To the right of the living room was the dining room which opened up to the den on the right followed by a small media room. The kitchen was at the center of the apartment and was filled with high-end features and restaurant grade appliances. To the right of the kitchen, there was a half bathroom and a utility room with a washer and dryer.

Next was a hall that led to the private spaces. There were three bedrooms, one with a private bathroom and two that shared a jack-and-jill bathroom, and each with French doors that led out onto the terrace. The master suite was on the southwestern corner and had a huge luxurious bathroom and two walk in closets. It also had more French doors to the terrace and another gas fireplace

The terrace was Blaine's favorite part of the apartment. It encircled the entire apartment, but the largest portion was to the east, overlooking the park. There was plenty of room to entertain and even a built in gas grill that connected to the apartment's gas line. There were original architectural details out there as well as throughout the entire apartment, but it wasn't so ornamental that a modern design would be out of place in the space.

Blaine decided he wanted that apartment on the spot. But before he made an offer, he decided to call Kurt.

It took almost an hour for Kurt to get away from work to meet Blaine and the realtor and, when he did, his face was a mask of neutrality. Even before he made it inside, he had to have realized that it was a lot nicer than anything he had been expecting. But he kept quiet as Blaine showed him around, pointing out all of his favorite features and the art-deco architectural details. The only times Kurt's mask faltered was when he saw the kitchen and the two walk in closets. But he held his tongue until the tour was over and the realtor had given them some privacy to talk.

"Blaine," Kurt hissed as soon as the realtor had left the room. "Are you out of your mind? Forget that we only ever discussed renting. This place has to be listed in the millions!"

"I know," Blaine said sheepishly. "I wanted to surprise you. My Nana left me a lot more than I expected. A _LOT_ more. And part of that was $20 million to buy a place to live. This place isn't anywhere close to that. So we could use some of the money to hire a decorator and really do it up the way we want it. Plus, I'll be getting $15,000 a month for expenses above and beyond school costs. We can afford this place, Kurt. I promise. I wouldn't have shown it to you if we couldn't."

Kurt just stood there staring at Blaine in shock. "Just how much did she leave you?"

"Well, the trust is valued at $257 million right now, but I won't get all of it at once," Blaine said. "I'll get an allowance until I graduate and then get half of the trust released to me. Then another portion when I turn 35. There are other details, but we can discuss them later. Right now, all that is important is if you love this place as much as I do."

"Of course I love it," Kurt said wryly. "What's not to love? We can turn the den into a music room and still have the library for studying. And the closets, Blaine... I almost came when I saw those closets."

Blaine chuckled. "I knew that would get to you. But can you see us living here for the next ten or twenty years? There's plenty of room for a family when the time comes. And we'd be right across the avenue from the park."

Kurt shook his head. "It would be perfect for a family. But Blaine... you keep talking about us like... like we're a couple. But we aren't. This would be your home and it's your money. I can't afford this."

"I want to share my good fortune with my best friend," Blaine said stubbornly. "Is that so wrong? Besides, one of these days, I'm going to convince you that we belong together forever. I fucked up, Kurt. I know that. But I'm prepared to do anything it takes to get you to forgive me and realize that we belong together. I love you and I know you love me and when you're ready, we're going to be together and we're going to have the wedding of your dreams. I've already started saving up. Any money from my allowance that I don't need to live on is going into a savings account for the wedding."

"Blaine..."

"I'm not trying to rush you," Blaine quickly interjected. "I'm just trying to be prepared for the inevitable. So, what do you say, will you move in here with me if I buy this place?"

Kurt huffed out a dry laugh. "I would be insane to turn down a chance to live in an apartment like this. So, yes, make your offer and we'll see if it goes through."

"Yes!" Blaine shouted and hugged Kurt just as the realtor returned.

"Good news I take it?" She asked with a smile.

Blaine grinned back at her. "We'll offer list price but they pay closing costs and we want a quick closing date. Two weeks should be enough to get everything in order since we're paying cash and they've already moved out."

She smiled. "I'll write up the details of the offer and see what they say."

**GLEE**

James Haile flew out with a check for the closing and Blaine signed all of the paperwork with his approval. One thing that Blaine hadn't shared with Kurt was the fact that he was putting his name on the deed as co-owner. Since Kurt still didn't know that Blaine had added his name to all of his bank accounts, Blaine figured it was just one more thing he would tell Kurt later.

Kurt, however, was soon busy with the decorator they had hired. Blaine and Kurt had discussed a budget and what they actually wanted to do, but Kurt was the one with the eye for decorating, so Blaine left most of the decisions up to him. They weren't making any major changes to the place, but just furnishing a home that large was expensive and took time.

On the 15th of August, however, they had enough of the apartment furnished to live comfortably and moved in. Blaine's remaining items were shipped in from Ohio, the new baby grand piano was delivered and all of the public rooms were furnished, along with the master suite. Only the three unoccupied bedrooms were left to be decorated.

The decorator had furnished the terrace with comfortable outdoor furniture with modern lines that matched the interior design. She had hired a landscaping company that had installed numerous planters with an automatic watering system. They would also come in once a week to maintain the planters and change out the plants seasonally.

The landscapers weren't the only outside help that they had scheduled. After much argument, Blaine finally convinced Kurt that they needed a cleaning service. Since the place was so large, and they would both be busy with school, they would have a cleaner come in twice a week. Kurt had nixed the idea of hiring anyone full time. But he had finally agreed to have them do some of the laundry, as long as they didn't ever touch Kurt's most beloved articles of clothing. He would hand wash those himself, or send them to the dry cleaners.

The location was great for school. They were only about fifteen blocks north and east of NYADA. It was only a twenty minute walk. Or they could catch the subway if the weather was really bad.

On their first weekend in the apartment, Kurt insisted on having a picnic in the park and it was absolutely everything either had ever imagined it would be. Even if they weren't officially back together, it was still the most romantic date that either of them had experienced.

Despite Kurt's continued protests that they weren't together, they not only shared the apartment, but the master suite as well. Blaine had been prepared to take one of the smaller bedrooms if Kurt didn't want to share, but the issue really hadn't come up. Kurt just directed the movers to bring both of their clothes into the master bedroom and began unpacking his in one closet and Blaine's in the other. Blaine guessed he shouldn't have been surprised since they had shared at bed at the loft as well. They were best friends who slept together and lived together, but weren't officially together.

Blaine could live with that. As long as Kurt wasn't dating anyone else, Blaine could overlook semantics. He could overlook a lot of things for Kurt.

And so their first days in the new apartment were pretty blissful. Until the call came from Burt telling them that Finn was in the hospital and the doctors weren't sure if he would live through the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

Blaine arranged the flight and the rental car. Kurt was such a wreck that he couldn't even figure out what to pack, so Blaine helped him do that too. Then they took a cab to JFK and flew out on the last flight to Columbus that day. They arrived after midnight and picked up the rental car. Blaine drove, because Kurt was still not completely functional. He hadn't cried, but he wasn't speaking either and he was shaking like a leaf. He barely answered when Blaine asked him a question.

They arrived at the hospital in the wee hours of the morning and it was a testament to just how bad Finn must be because no one tried to impose visiting hours. They went to ICU and found Burt and Carole beside Finn's bed. Carole was crying and speaking softly to Finn while she held his hand. Burt spotted them through the glass wall and came out.

"Dad, what happened?" Kurt asked, speaking for the first time in hours.

Burt shook his head. It was obvious that he was just as upset as Kurt. "We're not entirely sure. He went out with some guys he met at OSU Lima. Next thing we know, we got a call from the police. He was found in his car in the mall parking lot. He was already in a coma. The docs... they said it's drugs. Kurt... promise me..."

"Never dad," Kurt vowed. "I don't take that stuff. I've been offered, but I've never... God, dad. Drugs?"

"I know," Burt sighed. "I'm so pissed off and upset and... I need to take Carole to get some coffee and something to eat. That'll give you boys a few minutes with him. Only two allowed at a time."

He went back inside and a few minutes later, he came out practically carrying Carole. When she saw Kurt and Blaine she came over and gave them hugs, but she never stopped crying and she was too upset to say anything.

Kurt clutched at Blaine's hand like a lifeline as they entered the room and saw all the machines that were keeping Finn alive. Kurt's eyes filled with tears as he looked over at his stepbrother and Blaine let a few tears escape as well.

"Finn, you're such an idiot," Kurt hissed angrily through his tears. "How could you do this to your family? To Rachel? To yourself? And after everything with your dad? You were so excited about trying to get your teaching degree and following in Mr. Schue's footsteps. How could you just throw it away like that?"

And that's when Kurt finally broke down. All Blaine could do was be there to support him and offer whatever comfort he could.

**GLEE**

Finn never woke up. Rachel arrived on the first flight the next morning and was at the hospital by 11. She got to say goodbye and she and Carole were on either side of the bed, each holding a hand when the heart monitor finally stopped. The doctor suspended the two only rule at the end, so Burt and Kurt and Blaine were all there as well.

Hiram and LeRoy were just outside the room and were there to comfort Rachel when she completely broke down. Burt comforted Carole as best he could. Kurt just stood there crying silently, holding onto Blaine.

**GLEE**

Blaine wasn't sure who had called everyone, but there was a steady stream of people who came to the Hudson-Hummel house that afternoon and the next day. Some brought casseroles. Some just stopped for a few minutes. Others stayed longer. The glee club, both old and new, all stopped by in small groups, each mourning the loss of one of their own. Santana had flown back with Rachel. Britt was coming in for the funeral from Massachusetts. The rest of them were still home for summer break.

Blaine watched as Kurt kept himself busy making food and serving drinks to the many visitors, but Blaine knew that was just how he was coping with his grief. If he stayed busy, he didn't have to think or feel.

Carole was a mess. Burt had to make most of the decisions regarding the funeral. He asked if the glee kids would sing and so Blaine and Mr. Schuster worked together with the kids who thought that they could hold it together enough to sing. Kurt wasn't among them and neither was Rachel. Puck, too, chose to bow out. He was almost as grief-stricken as Carole and Rachel.

Rachel hadn't been among the visitors in the days before the funeral. According to her fathers, she was too distraught to face anyone.

The day of the funeral arrived and it was raining. It was just a light rain, but it was just miserable enough to suit everyone's mood. The church where Burt and Carole had been married less than two years before was where the service was to be held and it was packed with people by the time they arrived. Kurt let Rachel sit in the front row with Carole, Burt and her dads. He and Blaine sat directly behind them.

Despite their differences, Mr. Schuster gave a moving eulogy about the young student who had so much potential, and who had become one of his closest friends. And then to close the service, the glee club stood up and performed Jen Bostic's "Jealous of Angels." It was a moving tribute that had most of the congregation in tears.

There was a short service at the graveyard, and mostly it was just family and close friends. They huddled under umbrellas and listened as the minister spoke eloquently. It had continued to rain throughout the day, but just as the minister spoke the final blessing, the rain stopped and the sun came out. A rainbow brightened the sky for a short time and it gave Blaine a sense of peace that perhaps, even if he didn't believe in organized religion, that just perhaps there was more to life than could be seen with the eyes.

**GLEE**

The wake lasted longer than Blaine would have liked. He was exhausted. He knew that Kurt had to be even more so. He hadn't stopped for days. He hadn't really slept or ate much of anything since they had arrived from New York. He tried to sleep but ended up spending most nights in the kitchen baking. Blaine just wanted to wrap him up and protect him from the pain, but he couldn't do that. All he could do was watch and try to help where he could.

When the last visitor left, however, Burt finally put his foot down and insisted that Kurt go to bed. Blaine was grateful. Not only because Burt could make Kurt take care of himself, but also because Burt had actually insisted that Blaine stay in Kurt's room with him.

They were silent as they prepared for bed. Kurt performed his nightly ritual in silence and Blaine was already under the covers when Kurt finally shut off the lights and joined him.

Without a word, he moved into Blaine's arms and finally let the tears he had been holding back for days loose. Blaine rocked him through the storm of emotions. He held on tight and whispered words of love and comfort until much later Kurt finally seemed to come back to himself. Then they lay in the darkness, just holding onto each other.

"I don't want to pretend anymore," Kurt said into the silence.

"Pretend about what?" Blaine asked quietly.

"Pretend that I don't love you," Kurt said. "Pretend that we aren't made for each other. Pretend that we aren't a couple. I kept watching Rachel all day. She and Finn... they were like us: endgame. They may have had their issues, but they both knew—hell, we all knew—that one day they would work them out and be together. Only now they won't ever have that chance."

"There are no guarantees in life," Blaine agreed sadly.

"Every day is precious," Kurt said. "I learned that when I lost my mom and then again when I almost lost my dad. But somehow I forgot when... when we broke up. I was so intent on holding onto my anger and hurt because that's what I was supposed to do, you know? After all, what does it say about me if my boyfriend cheats and I just forgive and forget? But Blaine, I forgave you a long time ago. I probably won't ever forget, but I forgave you when you showed up at Christmas more concerned about helping me cope with my father's illness than about missing the holiday with your family. I just needed... time to feel like I wasn't being a doormat. But now... I don't want to pretend anymore. I want to cherish every day that I have you in my life, if it's for the next year or the next 80 years."

Blaine closed his eyes and let out a sob of relief. "I want that too, Kurt. I love you so much. And I would willingly wait for you forever. But I'm glad I don't have to."

Kurt leaned over in the darkness and kissed Blaine tenderly. "Marry me."

Blaine laughed at that.

"What?" Kurt demanded as he pulled away and sat up. He reached out and clicked on the bedside light. "Why are you laughing?"

Blaine grinned at him. "Because you just stole my thunder." He climbed from the bed and grabbed his messenger bag. The ring box was just where he left it. "I bought these months ago. I was just waiting... for the right time. But you beat me to it."

Kurt took the ring box and opened it. His face lit up at the beautiful rings inside. "They're perfect. Can we wear them now?"

"If you want," Blaine agreed easily. "We can get new rings for our wedding. These can be our engagement rings."

"I like that," Kurt said with a smile. He lifted one of the rings from the box and noted the beautiful diamond embedded in the simple band. He took Blaine's hand and slipped the ring on Blaine's finger. "I promise that I will never take a single day together for granted. I love you Blaine Devon Anderson and I can't wait to marry you."

"I promise that I will try never to doubt your love for me again," Blaine said as he repeated Kurt's actions. "And if I do, I'll come to you to talk it over. I love you Kurt Elizabeth Hummel and I can't wait to marry you."

Kurt turned off the light and they settled back in bed, both too tired from the events of the week to do more than cuddle. There would be time to celebrate later. "We should probably wait to announce our engagement. But I'd like to tell Dad and Carole before we go home."

"You're probably right about waiting to tell everyone else," Blaine agreed. "When are we flying back to New York?"

"The day after tomorrow," Kurt said. "Dad is taking Carole to DC with him. He has to be back and he doesn't want to leave Carole alone. We can all drive down to Columbus together."

"I'll talk to Burt tomorrow and book the flight," Blaine said.

"Thank you," Kurt said. "And not just for taking care of the arrangements. I mean for taking care of me. I've felt like I had to hold it together for Carole and Rachel and my dad. But with you... I know I can let go and you'll be there to hold me up."

"Always," Blaine promised.

**GLEE**

Over the next weeks, Kurt had good days and bad days. He felt guilty for not being there for Rachel when she needed him the most, so he tried to spend time with her, but neither Rachel's rehearsal schedule nor Kurt's class schedule allowed for much time to be there for each other. They had to settle for phone conversations and texting. But somehow they made it be enough.

Amazingly enough, Santana pulled through for Rachel and was actually compassionate and supportive in a way Blaine had only ever seen her be for Britt in the past. He wondered if there were some deeply hidden feelings there, but Kurt had laughed and said that Santana could be a good friend when needed, but she would never fall in love with someone like Rachel.

With everything that had happened, it wasn't until late October that Blaine thought about the letter from his Nana and the mysterious post script again.

"We should go this weekend," Kurt said when Blaine mentioned it over breakfast one morning.

"Maybe I'll call them first," Blaine said. "See if they can give us any clues over the phone."

That was how they learned that one of the numbers was for a safety deposit box. And the other numbers were likely the combination. This news had Blaine considering what his great grandmother might have hidden in a safety deposit box that couldn't be left with the lawyer.

They had an appointment for early Saturday morning, and the two of them took a cab together to the bank. Blaine was nervous and was glad he had Kurt there for support.

They were asked for identification and then were shown into the vault that housed the safety deposit boxes. Once they were alone, Blaine tried the combination. It only took three tries to get it open. Inside he found more papers, a few pieces of jewelry and another letter.

They sat at the table in the center of the vault and read through the papers and letter together.

"This can't be right," Blaine finally said.

"It looks pretty official with those medical records," Kurt said, but there was some doubt in his voice. "We could get you tested again to be sure."

"This is crazy," Blaine said. "I mean, you read about those families with the genetic predisposition, but... it doesn't seem real. Like it's just some weird internet story someone made up."

"I know," Kurt said. "But according to your Nana, her brother was a carrier. And so was her uncle. If that's true, then you could very well be too. Every male in your family could potentially be a carrier. At least on that side of the family."

"Cooper could be a carrier," Blaine mused. "Not that he'd ever actually get pregnant, since he's vehemently straight."

Kurt was quiet for a moment. "Blaine, have you thought about... we stopped using condoms after both our tests came back clean."

Blaine's eyes widened. "Shit."

"It's a possibility," Kurt said. "I think... I think maybe we should make an appointment with a specialist, just to be sure. If you are a carrier, and you aren't already pregnant, there are oral contraceptives you can take. At least until we're ready to start a family."

Blaine nodded slowly with his eyes still wide. "But what if...?"

Kurt hugged his fiancé tight. "If you are pregnant, then we figure it out together. The timing may not be ideal, but we can work through it. I would cherish any child we made together, no matter how inconvenient the timing."

"Me too," Blaine whispered hoarsely. "Let's get out of here."

**GLEE**

It took a few days to find a specialist in carriers, but they did and got an appointment for the following week. In the meantime, they went back to using condoms, much to both boys' displeasure. They were both distracted through their classes that week and had to struggle to keep up with their assignments, but eventually the day of the appointment arrived.

They were sitting together in the waiting room when Blaine said, "It seems so strange that my Nana would have gotten me tested. I get why she kept the result s secret from my parents. They've had a hard enough time dealing with the fact that I'm gay. Adding this on top of it might just..." He shook his head, trying to shake away that thought. "But why would she even get me tested to begin with?"

"We already decided that she probably suspected you were gay," Kurt said. "And maybe she thought that this would be a gift to you. I know I would think of it that way. I made my dad get me tested after I came out to him. It was negative, by the way. Not surprising, since it's such a rare thing and no one in my family had ever proved to be carriers. But I would be ecstatic if I could have a baby. Maybe she thought you would be too. Maybe she wanted to imagine you having your own family one day."

"I will be thrilled if it proves to be true," Blaine said. "You know how much I love kids. I would love to be able to start a family with you, with children that are a little bit of me and a little bit of you and a lot their own person."

"You said she made provisions for children in the will," Kurt said. "So it's quite possible that's what she was thinking. And she might have believed what you believe about your family not accepting it, which would explain why she went to such lengths to make sure you wouldn't be reliant on their financial support."

"I guess so," Blaine said. "I like to think that she loved me unconditionally."

"I'm sure she did," Kurt said. Then his demeanor changed from supportive to shrewd in a heartbeat. "But, speaking of financial support... I was looking through the mail yesterday and found a bank statement addressed to both of us. Blaine, why is your bank account under both of our names?"

Blaine opened his mouth but no answer came out. Luckily, the nurse called them back to the exam room just then. "Saved by the bell," he murmured.

"Not for long," Kurt whispered back as they followed the nurse. "We _will_ discuss this."

Blaine nodded. "Okay. But later."

It didn't take long for the nurse to go through the usual check of vital statistics and then to draw some blood. Thankfully, there were newer tests in place since Blaine had been tested as a child. What used to take days and analysis at a distant lab could now be done with a simple test right there in the doctor's office.

When she had the blood sample, the nurse handed Blaine a plastic cup and asked him for a urine sample. That was for the pregnancy test. Again, it was a much faster and easier test than in the past. They would have both results before leaving the office.

Thirty minutes later, the doctor entered the exam room. "Mr. Anderson?"

"That's me," Blaine said with a nervous smile. "But you can call me Blaine. And this is my fiancé, Kurt Hummel."

Dr. Fenton nodded at them. "Well, I got the test results back and both came up positive. You are a carrier, and you are pregnant. If you need time to consider, we can discuss your options and have you come back at a later date."

Kurt and Blaine shared a look. "We don't need time. We considered the possibility already and decided that if the test was positive, we would have the baby."

Dr. Fenton smiled at that. "I'm glad. Male pregnancies are so rare that it seems a shame to terminate one. Well, in that case, let's do a preliminary exam and see if we can determine how far along you are and make sure everything is going as it should."

The exam wasn't too bad, but Blaine was still a little uncomfortable when the man stuck his finger up his ass. And the gel he used for the ultrasound was cold and sticky. But Blaine survived the experience and soon Kurt was helping him clean the gel off while the doctor washed his hands.

"Well, everything looks great so far," he said once he had returned to his stool. "You look to be approximately five weeks pregnant, so we'll set your due date for mid-June. That means we'll need to book you for a C-section either the last week in May or the first week in June, but we can do that a little closer to the date depending on how the fetus is progressing. We don't like to take them too early, but waiting too long can put undue stress on a carrier's body.

"Now, men aren't necessarily designed to carry children," the doctor continued. "There are some basic differences between men and women, besides the obvious, that make women better able to carry a child. I don't say this to frighten you, but to prepare you for some of the things you are likely to face. While your hips are wider than most men's, they will still need to widen further to accommodate the fetus. That means aching joints in the pelvic region for most of the first and third trimesters.

"In addition, as the pregnancy progresses, you'll find that your center of gravity is off," the doctor explained. "This will in turn upset your balance. Women have a lower center of gravity to begin with so they aren't as badly affected. You'll need to be careful moving around later in the pregnancy.

"Finally, the hormonal changes that you'll experience may be stronger than that of a woman," Dr. Fenton said. "Which means mood swings may be more severe."

Blaine groaned. "That doesn't sound like fun at all."

"For you _or_ me," Kurt said wryly.

Dr. Fenton chuckled. "Well, it isn't all bad news. Typically, male pregnancies bring less severe morning sickness. Some men don't experience it at all."

"That does sound like good news," Blaine said. "I'll take the none-at-all option."

"We'll see how it goes," Dr. Fenton said. "I like to keep a closer eye on carriers, so I'll want to see you at least every three weeks to begin, and we'll increase the frequency of your visits around week 25."

"What about things he should or shouldn't be doing?" Kurt asked.

Dr. Fenton nodded. "I'll send you home with some pamphlets, as well as a prescription for prenatal vitamins. But, there are some basic precautions you should take. Avoid excessive caffeine."

"What would be considered excessive?" Blaine asked, already mourning the loss of his medium drip.

"One cup of coffee or black tea a day," the doctor said. "And possibly one caffeinated soda. But you may find that soda makes you gassy as the pregnancy goes on and might want to avoid it if you find that to be the case."

"I don't drink much soda anyway," Blaine said with a shrug. "I just want my coffee."

"Well, you can have one cup," Dr. Fenton reiterated. "Also, don't take any over the counter medications without checking with a pharmacist first. Some can be harmful to a fetus. If you're really not sure, you can call the office and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Obviously, no smoking, alcohol or drugs. Some studies have shown that a single glass of wine a day doesn't do any harm to the baby, but I prefer my patients stay away from alcohol altogether."

"Not a problem," Blaine said. "I'm not a very big drinker. And I've never smoked."

"What about dancing?" Kurt asked. "Blaine is a student at NYADA. He has to take dance as part of the curriculum."

"There are only a few weeks left in this semester, I assume?" Dr. Fenton asked. At their nods, he continued. "Then there shouldn't be a problem. Exercise is good for both Blaine and the baby. As he progresses, though, his balance will likely become an issue. So I wouldn't recommend taking dance next semester. Light to moderate exercise through the course of the pregnancy is good, though, so even when things start to get off kilter, you might still want to walk daily. Take Kurt to hold onto or use a treadmill with handrails. And if you are doing any sort of exercise and start to feel pain, stop what you are doing and evaluate how you feel. It may be nothing, but it may be an indication of a problem."

"And sex?" Blaine asked with a blush.

"The same rules apply," Dr. Fenton said. "Nothing too strenuous, but as long as you feel okay, it's probably okay. And if you don't feel okay, stop."

"Anything else we should know?" Kurt asked.

"Just try to keep your salt intake under control," Dr. Fenton said. "Many carriers have issues with high blood pressure. You don't have to cut out salt altogether, but overindulging cravings for chips or processed foods could ultimately cause you to end up on bed rest. We want to avoid that if at all possible. Same goes for overindulging in sweets. Gestational diabetes is another thing we need to watch for. You'll get cravings, and it's okay to indulge on occasion, but try to stick to healthy snacks and balanced meals as much as possible. Also, avoid eating too much fish high in mercury. One of the pamphlets I'll give you spells out what fish is safe and what isn't. It also outlines a good diet for carriers."

"Thanks," Blaine said as the doctor rose to leave.

"I'll see you both in three weeks," Dr. Fenton said. "The receptionist will have your pamphlets and prescription. You can pick them up from her when you make your next appointment."

Ten minutes later, they were taking the elevator back down to the street when Blaine said, "Well, the good news is we can stop using condoms. That horse is already out of the barn."

"The bad news is we have to tell our parents," Kurt said.

Blaine's smile faded. "I think your dad and Carole will be okay. Maybe shocked at first, but I think they'll be supportive. And maybe becoming a grandma will help Carole. You know, the whole circle of life stuff."

"Maybe," Kurt said.

"I don't think my parents will take the news well," Blaine said quietly.

"Well, we weren't panning to go back to Ohio until Christmas, but we could go back sooner if you think it will help to tell them face to face," Kurt offered.

Blaine shook his head. "Call me a coward, but I'd wait until Christmas. But we can tell your parents at Thanksgiving when we see them. It's only a couple weeks away and I think we should tell them face to face."

"I'll make sure they're still planning to come up for the holiday," Kurt said. They hadn't yet seen Blaine and Kurt's new apartment, though Kurt had told them all about it when they moved in. And they had told them about the engagement on the way to the airport after Finn's funeral. Both had taken the news well, with tearful smiles and congratulations. Hopefully this news would go over as well.

Kurt waited until they were back at their apartment before bringing up the bank issue again. "So, now will you explain why my name is on your bank account?"

Blaine shrugged. "For the same reason it's on the deed to the apartment. Kurt, everything I have is yours. That was true before we got back together. It's even truer now. You are my legal medical proxy. You are the beneficiary on my life insurance. Your name is on everything I can put it on because you are the most important person in my life. And now that we're planning our wedding, I think it's pretty normal to share finances."

Kurt looked at his fiancé for a long time before slowly nodding. "Fine, in that case, I'm closing my accounts and putting everything into our joint account. And you need to get James Haile to set up the medical proxy thing for me. I don't have life insurance, but if everything you have is mine, then everything I have is yours too."

Blaine grinned. "I can definitely live with that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

The young couple went through the three weeks before Thanksgiving on cloud nine. Kurt still had moments of sadness when he remembered Finn, and sometimes felt guilty for being so happy when he had lost his brother not so long ago, but mostly he was just enjoying being young and in love and planning for his life with Blaine.

Blaine, for his part was tired but happy. Being pregnant did come with its trials. His hips ached, especially after a long class with Cassandra July. His skin was itchy and he was constantly slathering on lotion to try and relieve the itch, often with Kurt's expert help. He found that despite the doctor telling him that he could have one cup of coffee a day his stomach rebelled at just the smell of coffee, which meant that the drink was banned from their apartment indefinitely. While he hadn't actually thrown up from morning sickness, he did get slightly nauseated every afternoon around 1, but a few dry crackers seemed to help. But the most noticeable change was the exhaustion; he could fall asleep anywhere. He once dozed off while stretching at the bar in dance class. Cassandra had not been amused.

So Blaine had discussed it with Kurt and they decided that Blaine needed to explain the situation. They went first to Blaine's advisor and he sent them to the dean of students. They were assured that accommodations could and would be made. After all, Blaine wasn't the first student to end up pregnant, even if he was the first male student on record.

The conversation with Cassandra actually went better than either Kurt or Blaine could have hoped. She glared at him through narrowed eyes as she looked over his physique. Then she nodded and smiled. "Congratulations. Watch that you don't push yourself too had to keep up. It would be better to have to retake the class than harm you or your kid. I'll expect you won't be signing up for the spring class, so you better work your ass off to get back in shape and back into my class next fall."

And that was it. All of Blaine's professors knew and before long most of the student body knew. Gossip like that spread like wildfire. Blaine got a few odd looks since carriers were still so rare, but most people didn't bother them.

One person who did say something was Adam. Kurt and Blaine were walking through the student commons on their way home the afternoon before Thanksgiving when Adam caught up with them. He gave Blaine a sidelong look before asking if he could speak to Kurt alone.

Blaine didn't like Adam. He was sure he was a nice enough guy, but Kurt had dated him and that was something that Blaine couldn't get past. The only good thing about Adam—at least in Blaine's opinion—was the fact that he was a senior and would be gone in six months.

Kurt came back scowling, leaving a very frustrated looking Adam behind.

"What was that about?" Blaine asked.

Kurt huffed in annoyance as he took Blaine's hand and interlaced their fingers. "He had the nerve to imply that you got pregnant on purpose just to get me back. I told him that we were together long before you even found out you could get pregnant. And besides, it's none of his business either way. When we broke up, it was because we both knew that I wasn't over you and probably never would be. He seemed sad but okay with it at the time. But now..."

"It must be hard to actually see you with someone else," Blaine said, suddenly feeling sympathy for the guy. "I know when we were apart, knowing you were dating Adam was hard, but I think it would have been a hundred times harder if I'd been here to see it."

"I guess," Kurt said with a sigh as they stepped out onto the sidewalk. It was chilly, but not so cold yet that they needed their heavy winter coats. Kurt was glad, because fashion was always best in the fall in the spring, when you could layer without bulky coats and sweaters. "We need to stop for groceries. I made a list of things we still need to get for dinner tomorrow."

"What time are your parents getting in?" Blaine wondered.

"Their train arrives at 6," Kurt said. "Dad said they'll just catch a cab, so they should be to the apartment by 6:30. We still have plenty of time to shop and get dinner started before they arrive. I was thinking something light tonight since we'll all be stuffing our faces tomorrow."

"How about salmon?" Blaine said. "It's one of the good fish I can still eat and I love your salmon."

"With the ginger glaze or the vinaigrette?" Kurt asked. "Either way, that would actually be good. And I can make a quinoa salad."

"The ginger glaze," Blaine said firmly. "And you could do that quinoa salad with the grapefruit."

Kurt considered that. "There's ginger in that too, but I don't think it will be overwhelming. Sure, we can do both. And we still need sweet potatoes for tomorrow, sausage for the stuffing, ham for the breakfast casserole, two garlic bulbs, and some almonds and fresh snap beans. The turkey and everything else was delivered over the weekend."

"I have no idea how you keep all that stuff straight in your head," Blaine said as he lifted Kurt's hand and kissed his knuckles. "But I'm glad you do, because I'd forget half of the stuff and have to go back to the store six times."

"We wouldn't have to go to the store at all if the delivery service hadn't run out of certain items," Kurt huffed. Then he relented. "Then again, I do prefer picking out our produce myself, so I would have had to come to the store anyway."

"I imagine with the holidays that they had a lot of people ordering," Blaine said. "I'm just happy that they deliver. It's one thing to carry a couple bags of meat and produce the four blocks to the apartment, but trying to lug all of the canned goods and sugar and other staples would be a little harder."

They reached the small grocery store not far from their apartment and went inside. It was busy on the night before a holiday and there were people packed in every aisle. It had taken them both time to get used to shopping in such a tiny grocery store. In Ohio, they had huge wide aisles with every imaginable food product in every imaginable variety. Even Bushwick had better stores. Here, they had extremely limited choices. But the meat and produce departments were both very good and Kurt had taken to shopping online for most of their other food items.

"Oh, look at those bananas," Blaine said.

"Get whatever fruit you want," Kurt told him as he looked through the selection of sweet potatoes. Blaine had been eating a lot of small snacks through the day, as recommended by the pamphlets the doctor gave them. Most of those snacks were either fruits or vegetables. He carried a baggie of baby carrots in his messenger bag every day. He also had apples, pears, nectarines, and anything else he could carry with him. At home, he ate kiwi and bananas and pineapples and star fruit. The one thing about New York was there was always an abundance of fresh fruit available, whether from the store or from the little sidewalk vendor that Blaine had found a block from school.

Blaine grabbed a basket and started filling it with fruits and veggies he could snack on over the long weekend while Kurt finished picking out the snap beans and grapefruits. They finished in that area and headed for the meat department. While Kurt picked out the salmon steaks, Blaine found the ham and sausage they needed. They continued through the store, working together to get everything they needed and were soon joining the long line of people waiting to check out.

"Can we get some chocolate?" Blaine asked as he eyed the candy by the checkout.

Kurt chuckled. "You act like I'm your keeper. Blaine, if you want chocolate, get some chocolate. You've been very good about not overindulging. I think it's safe for you to splurge a little. But not too much. We'll have lots of desserts tomorrow and for the rest of the weekend."

Blaine grinned and handed Kurt his basket. "I'll be right back." He rushed off and returned a few minutes later, just as Kurt was unloading their groceries onto the counter. Blaine set the box of Dove ice cream bars onto the conveyor and smiled sweetly at Kurt. Kurt just smiled back. Those were, after all, Kurt's favorite indulgence.

**GLEE**

Blaine broke out the ice cream bars as they put away the groceries and Kurt, as expected, had one as well. Then they got to work. The kitchen was plenty large enough for them both to work comfortably without getting in each other's way, so Blaine got to work making pies for the holiday while Kurt started dinner for that night. He had to marinade the salmon and cook the quinoa before putting the salad together.

When all of that was finished, he started preparing the breakfast casserole. Shredded potatoes layered with ham cubes and covered in a light cream sauce were put into a casserole dish. He would add a light sprinkling of cheese and bread crumbs in the morning before putting the whole thing into the oven. He also cooked up the sausage for the stuffing so that the only thing that had to be done in the morning was put all the ingredients together before stuffing the turkey.

They were just cleaning up when security called to say they had visitors. Blaine told them to send them up and then went to start the grill. When he returned, Kurt was hugging his dad by the door.

Blaine went over and was soon pulled into a round of hugs. Once the greetings were out of the way, Blaine helped Burt carry their luggage into the guest bedroom. It had just been finished the week before, and Blaine thought that Kurt had done a wonderful job on making it feel homey.

"This is some place you kids have got," Burt said once they returned to the kitchen where Carole was sitting at the breakfast bar while Kurt got the salmon ready to put on the grill. "Nothing like my first place with Elizabeth."

"Well, my Nana left me a rather sizable trust fund," Blaine said. "And she made provisions for me to be able to buy a home with some of the money, so that's what we did."

"Believe it or not, this wasn't even close to being the top end of the budget she set," Kurt put in with a wry smile. "We only used about three quarters of the budget."

"Well, it definitely suits the two of you," Carole said.

Burt helped Kurt carry the salmon out onto the terrace to the grill while Carole and Blaine set the table for dinner. The fish didn't take long to cook, and soon they were all gathered around the dining table, catching up on each other's lives.

"Blaine and I had something we wanted to tell you," Kurt finally said when there was a break in the conversation.

"We wanted to wait and tell you in person," Blaine said.

Burt looked at them in turn. "Well, you already told us about the engagement. What else is there?"

Blaine took a deep breath. "I found out that I'm a carrier. My grandmother had me tested when I was a kid and never told anyone. We guess because she didn't think my family would take the news well."

"That's good news, isn't it?" Carole asked. "I mean, you're happy about it, right?"

"Very happy," Kurt assured her. "But..."

"But we didn't find out until after..." Blaine wasn't sure how to finish that sentence.

"We didn't find out until after Blaine was already pregnant," Kurt said.

There was silence in the room and Kurt and Blaine shared encouraging looks, their hands clasped tightly together on the table, while they waited for Burt and Carole to respond.

"You're pregnant?" Burt finally choked out.

"I am," Blaine said. "I'm due in mid-June, so they'll take the baby either the end of May or the first week in June."

"You're going to be grandparents in seven months," Kurt announced happily.

"Before you start to worry, we're going to be fine financially," Blaine said in a rush. "We barely use a third of my monthly allowance from the trust currently and that allowance will increase when I have the baby, so we'll be able to afford childcare and all the expenses that come with having a child."

"We're not putting off school," Kurt said. "In fact, we've already talked to the school about our options and they are a lot more understanding than I thought they would be."

"We have very good health insurance and one of the best specialists in male pregnancy as my doctor," Blaine went on. "We've even started looking into childcare options."

"We're leaning towards hiring a nanny," Kurt said. "At least for the first two or three years. And there are some great private school options in the area. They all have huge waiting lists, so we'll need to get moving on that before long."

Burt held up his hand to stop the stream of information. "It sounds like you boys really have thought everything through. Still... you're awfully young."

"We wouldn't have planned it this way," Kurt conceded. "But it happened and we're going to make the most of the situation we've been handed."

"What about the wedding?" Carole finally asked.

"We've been debating if we want to do it before the baby is born or wait," Blaine said. "I want Kurt to have his fantasy wedding, but that will take time. If we do it before the baby comes, then we'll have to rush everything and we don't have as much money saved up as we would need to do it right."

Burt nodded slowly. "It seems like your Nana thought about every other contingency; have you thought to ask about a stipulation for wedding costs?"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look but Blaine was the one who spoke. "Honestly, the thought hadn't occurred to me. I'll call James on Friday and if he's in the office, I'll ask. Otherwise, I suppose it will wait until Monday. I have to tell him about the baby, in any case, so he can start making arrangements for the baby's trust and the change in allowance."

"Even if he there's nothing he can do for us with the wedding, we still have over $60,000 in our savings account," Kurt said. "We could have a very nice wedding put together in a couple months with that much money."

"I'm going to start showing soon," Blaine argued.

"But you won't get really big until February or March," Kurt countered. "Plus, you'll look wonderful no matter how pregnant you are. I'll make sure of it."

Blaine bit his lip. "Okay, let's set a date."

The rest of dinner was filled with discussions about schedules and possible venues. Blaine insisted that Kurt let him hire a wedding coordinator to help put everything together. It might mean they would have less money to spend on the wedding itself, but they would need the help getting everything done on such short notice.

They all went to bed that night excited by the possibility of a wedding in the near future.

**GLEE**

Thanksgiving was hard for all of them, but especially for Carole. Despite the news that she was soon to be a grandmother, that first holiday without Finn was difficult for her. Kurt had considered inviting Rachel and Santana, but was relieved that the two girls had chosen to go home to Lima for the weekend instead. Adding Rachel's drama to Carole's grief would have been overwhelming.

They made it through the day and actually had a pretty great time. They had a pretty good overhead view of the parade from their balcony, and watched as the Snoopy balloon, among others, passed by.

Kurt didn't even bug his dad about what he ate, telling him he got one day's free pass. It helped that Kurt had planned the menu to be mostly healthy fare. Only the casserole and desserts were fattening. Kurt hadn't even made mashed potatoes, because he didn't want to add that much butter and cream to the menu. Instead they had pureed sweet potatoes which were extremely tasty without all that added cholesterol.

Burt and Blaine had staked out the media room to watch football in the evening while Carole and Kurt spent time discussing possibilities for the nursery and making lists of things they would need for the baby. They even made plans for her and Burt to come up in March for a weekend, so that they could all go shopping together.

Friday morning, Kurt reminded Blaine to call James Haile. So as soon as they were finished the lovely brunch Kurt and Carole had put together, Blaine went into the library to make the call.

"Well, Blaine, after we talked in June and you indicated that you were considering marriage, I went back to reread the fine print," James told him. "There was a proviso for a wedding. Basically, any costs up to $500,000 will be covered by the trust. Anything over that will have to come from your allowance."

"That's great news," Blaine said with a grin. "I don't think we'll anywhere close to that much. We don't want anything huge, but Kurt deserves something elegant, even if it's small. This is an enormous help. We only had $60,000 set aside so far."

James chuckled. "You already have that much put away? It's only been six months. I would have figured you might have half that."

Blaine smiled. "I knew what I wanted, so I did what I needed. We would have had plenty of money by the time we got married if the baby hadn't pushed up our timeline."

"Well, I'm glad I can help," James said sincerely. "Just send the wedding related bills to me like you do school expenses. And I'll start getting the trust set up for the baby. Also, if you tell me when you conceived, I can backdate the increase in allowance."

"Wait, I thought that the increase wouldn't come until the baby was born?"

James chuckled. "No, the increase is set from conception. It's set up that way because of the increase in medical costs and to give you extra money to buy the items necessary for a baby."

"In that case, I conceived in September," Blaine said.

"Very well," James said. "Your December disbursement will increase to $22,500, and there will be an additional $22,500 in back payments."

"Thanks," Blaine said. "Is there anything you need from me?"

"Just a statement from your doctor after your next appointment," James said. "Just to confirm conception date. I can release the funds now, but I'll need documentation for the file."

"Alright, that shouldn't be a problem," Blaine said. "Also, did you receive the copies of Kurt's signed medical proxy forms?"

"I did, and they have been filed in both Ohio and New York," James said. "Just make sure you keep a copy so that if anything happens before you are married, you'll have legal rights regarding Kurt's well-being. And make sure he knows how to access that information as well."

"He does," Blaine said. "Well, I guess that's it for now. You'll be getting an invitation to the wedding pretty soon, I would guess."

"I'll look forward to it," James said.

When the call ended, Blaine looked up to see Kurt standing in the doorway. "So?"

Blaine grinned. "We can send the bills for up to $500,000 to James to be paid out of the trust. Anything above that will have to come from our savings."

Kurt snorted. "I think $500,000 is more than adequate for the small wedding I have in mind. We can reinvest the rest of the money from our savings now that we won't need it for the wedding."

"We can, I guess," Blaine mused. "James did send me the information on the firm that's handling the trust. I suppose we could ask them to invest some of our money. But I think we should keep some money in our savings for emergencies."

"Fine, we'll invest $50,000 and keep $10,000 for emergencies," Kurt said. "Though I can't imagine what sort of emergency we couldn't cover from the monthly allowance."

"Speaking of the monthly allowance," Blaine said. "The December disbursement will be for $45,000. Apparently, the increase for the baby starts at conception, not birth. So half of that will be our monthly income and the other half will be back pay."

"So we'll have closer to $90,000 to invest," Kurt said.

"We've already made some changes to the budget for the medical costs, but we'll need to furnish the nursery," Blaine said.

"I can still send the decorating costs to James," Kurt countered. "The last two rooms haven't been finished yet, so the nursery will just be part of the last stage of decorating."

Blaine shook his head. "I hadn't thought of that. Okay, but back to the wedding. So now we can start looking for a coordinator."

"Dad's taking Carole to a matinee of Phantom and then they're having dinner out," Kurt said. "So we can get on the phone and see if there are any wedding planners working on Black Friday."

"Oh god," Blaine groaned. "We missed Black Friday. I know that it's your favorite day of the year."

"It's fine, Blaine," Kurt soothed as he brushed a stray lock from Blaine's forehead. "I didn't plan on going out this year anyway. Besides, our wedding is much more important."

**GLEE**

They actually found a wedding planner who was not only highly recommended, but was available to meet with them on Saturday morning. Rather than leave Burt and Carole behind, they brought them along for the first meeting.

Jane Goodman seemed to know right away what Kurt was looking for in a wedding and the two hit it off famously. Blaine put in his opinion when needed and Carole seemed to enjoy the process as well. When they left the woman's office that day, they had picked out invitations, gave her two dates to work with and a list of local venues they would like if they could get in at the last minute.

They spent the rest of that day doing touristy things with Burt and Carole and had dinner out at one of Blaine's favorite restaurants.

Sunday, they had a late brunch together before Burt and Carole had to leave for the train station. Congress was back in session on Monday and Burt had to be there. They said their goodbyes on the sidewalk while the doorman hailed a cab for them. And then Burt and Carole were gone.

Monday they were back at school and Kurt received a shock as he was presented with an invitation to perform at the winter showcase. While Kurt had performed at the showcase the year before, that had been an audition, not an official invitation. This time it was official. Carmen Tibideaux handed him the envelope herself.

Blaine was happy for his partner. While it would have been nice to get one himself, he knew he still had time to prove himself. But Kurt had worked so hard to get the recognition he deserved, and so Blaine was proud of him and his accomplishment. So he decided a night out to celebrate would definitely be in order.

That evening, while at the restaurant, they got a call from the wedding planner, Jane. She had worked all day trying to find the perfect venue for their wedding, but none of the places they had chosen was available for either date.

"That's okay," Kurt said over the speakerphone, but Blaine could tell he was very disappointed. "I guess we can go to plan b."

"Well, that's not the end of my news," Jane said. "I know it wasn't listed as one of your preferred locations, but I have a friend at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and they just had a cancellation for the Engelhard Court in the American Wing on January 11th."

"I think I know that courtyard," Blaine said. "Isn't that the one with the huge bank facade?"

"It is," Jane agreed. "I can send you pictures of other weddings that have been done there, but you could have the ceremony on the steps of the building facade and then the indoor courtyard has plenty of room for a formal dinner and dancing. If we could wait for spring, I would suggest the Cloisters, but this is the absolute best indoor venue I know."

"Set the reservation," Kurt said. "When can we visit to get ideas about decorating?"

"I already told her to hold it," Jane said and both Kurt and Blaine could hear the smile in her voice. "As for visiting, if you're free tomorrow afternoon, we could go then. Otherwise, it will have to wait until next week. They have it booked for the next six days."

"As long as it's after three," Blaine said. "We should both be free."

"I'll see if Maria can meet us at 3:30 tomorrow then," Jane said.

**GLEE**

The Engelhard Court was fabulous. Kurt hadn't ever seen it before, but he was impressed with the architecture and the statuary. He and Jane had a hundred ideas for how to decorate for the wedding and where to hold the ceremony. There was a hedge that separated the building facade from the rest of the court, and Kurt and Jane discussed the merits of standing versus setting up chairs for their guests in that area.

Maria added in comments and suggestions based on the events that had been held there in the past and what had worked best. It took almost two hours to hash out the details of what the museum could and would provide for the event, including the tables and chairs. Blaine wrote a check for the deposit and a donation to be eligible to use the space as a patron, got a receipt so that he could be reimbursed from James, and let the others get on with the decisions.

Now that they had a venue and a set date, the invitations could be finalized and printed. Decisions could be made regarding the decorations and catering. Kurt and Jane planned to meet up several times a week between then and Christmas.

Over the coming weeks, Blaine went with Kurt to most of the meetings, but let Kurt make most of the final decisions. He put in his opinion when asked or if he felt strongly about something, but mostly let Kurt and Jane run the show. He knew he would love whatever they came up with.

Between getting ready for the wedding, preparing for finals, and Kurt preparing for the winter showcase, it was a hectic few weeks. Blaine was still tired a lot of the time but the afternoon nausea had abated. He was still sore from his widening hips and his pants weren't quite as comfortable now that his body shape was changing.

"We need to shop for clothes for you after we have our fitting for our tuxes," Kurt said one Saturday morning. Blaine reluctantly agreed. He did need new clothes, but the limited carrier fashions weren't impressive based on what he had seen online.

The tailor was able to build in some extra room in Blaine's tuxedo, along with some hidden stretch panels, but the shopping expedition wasn't nearly as successful. In the end, Kurt helped Blaine pick out a few larger sized items he could wear for a few weeks and then selected some clothes that the tailor could add stretch panels to for when Blaine got bigger.

They left the clothes with the tailor and then went Christmas shopping.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay in posting! I had a breakfast meeting this morning and this is the first chance I've had. Hope it was worth the wait! Jules

**Part Four**

Kurt was amazing at the winter showcase and easily took first place. Blaine was so proud of him that he was nearly bursting with it. But once that was finished, and finals were out of the way, there was nothing left to do but catch their flight back to Ohio.

Blaine had been putting of the thought of telling his parents about the baby, but once they were on their way to Ohio, he couldn't put it off any longer.

"They aren't going to be happy," Blaine said dejectedly.

"Then screw them," Kurt said fiercely. "You have been gifted with the ability to give life. Our baby is a miracle. If they can't see that, then they don't deserve you or their grandchild in their lives. The only ones who will miss out are them."

Blaine chuckled at Kurt's protectiveness. "I love you."

"I know," Kurt said with a soft smile. "And I love you too. That's why I know this is going to be okay. No matter what, we have each other."

Blaine hadn't sent the invitation for the wedding to his parents. Instead, he had decided to bring it with him and deliver it to them in person. If things went well, then they would be at the wedding. If not... well, Blaine would deal with that when and if it happened.

Since the Andersons lived closer to Columbus, they decided to stop there before heading on to Lima. They would have Christmas Eve dinner with Blaine's parents and then go on to see Burt and Carole. That meant that they only had one shot to get it right.

Kurt was, thankfully, already accustomed to the formality of dinner in the Anderson house. He was polite and well-mannered as he answered questions about how the two of them were settling in to cohabitation. He told about his win at the showcase. He bragged about Blaine's excellent grades his first semester and how many friends they had made.

But over dessert, Blaine knew that the time had come to spill the beans about everything.

"No coffee for me," Blaine told his mother and knew right away that she was suspicious. They might not be a close-knit family like Kurt's but his mother knew how much Blaine enjoyed coffee.

"Are you unwell, Blaine?" Lydia Anderson asked with concern as she poured for her husband and Kurt.

"I'm fine," Blaine said. "But actually, there were a few things that Kurt and I wanted to tell you while we're here."

"Well?" Connor Anderson prompted brusquely.

Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt Kurt clasp his hand beneath the table and squeeze. He gave Kurt a grateful smile before turning to face his parents. "I found out a few months ago that I'm a carrier. I'm pregnant and going to have a baby in June. Also, Kurt and I are getting married in three weeks."

Blaine pulled the invitation out and handed it to his mother. "I'll understand if this is shocking to you, but I hope that you will still come to the wedding."

There was complete silence for a few minutes while a range of emotions played over both senior Andersons' faces. When Connor finally spoke, it was in quiet tones that Kurt had never heard from the normally abrupt man.

"We... this is not something we ever considered," Connor finally said. "I'm... not sure how I feel about it."

Blaine nodded. "I know. It took me some time to come to terms with it, too. But this is a good thing. Kurt and I can have a family just like I always wanted."

"What about school?" Lydia asked with concern. "And how will you pay for a baby?"

Blaine bit his lip. "Nana left me a lot more than a couple hundred thousand in my trust."

"How much more?" Connor asked.

"Enough to buy a really nice condo on Central Park West," Blaine said. "The trust is valued at over $200 million dollars currently. I receive a rather generous monthly allowance until I either graduate or turn 25."

"It's quite generous," Kurt said. "In fact, we've started reinvesting more than half of the monthly allowance each month. By the time Blaine turns 25 and half of the trust is released, we should already have a substantial investment portfolio. Blaine has been very good about working with the brokerage to make sure we're investing wisely."

"We're going to be fine financially," Blaine said. "And we're both going to continue with school. We'll have the summer break to settle in with the baby before having to start back to classes in September. By then we should have hired a nanny."

"And we've started setting up interviews with private schools in the area to reserve a spot for the baby," Kurt said. "Private schools in New York can be really competitive."

"We really hope you'll come to the wedding," Blaine said quietly.

"Of course we'll be there," Lydia said and glanced at her husband.

"Blaine, I know I don't always know how to accept the ways that we're different, but... I love you, son," Connor said quietly. "It might take me some time to come to grips with everything, but I want you to be happy. We'll be at the wedding. And we'll plan to visit after the baby is born."

Blaine let out a sob of relief and happiness as he stood from his chair and went to hug his father. Connor looked slightly uncomfortable at the display, but he wrapped his arms around his son and patted his back.

**GLEE**

"He surprised me," Blaine admitted when they were snuggled up together in Kurt's old bedroom later that night. "I mean, I know he loves me. They both do, but..." He shook his head. "Did I ever tell you that after the gun went off at McKinley, the three of us sat up all night talking? I think maybe that incident scared them both."

"It certainly scared me," Kurt said as he pulled Blaine closer.

"The last few months of school, I could really see they were trying," Blaine said. "But I was afraid that this would just be too much."

"It'll take some time for them to fully accept it," Kurt warned. "But maybe my dad and Carole can arrange to meet them for dinner or something. It might help if they talked to someone else who's going through some of the same issues. And Carole can use the excuse that it's a dinner to meet the in-laws or something."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Blaine said. "Seeing you dad and Carole so accepting might help. And being able to voice their questions to someone who isn't you or me might be good too."

"I'll suggest it to dad and Carole," Kurt said. "But for now, I think it's time to go to sleep or else Santa won't bother to stop at our house tonight."

Blaine chuckled, but was quickly asleep with a smile still on his face.

**GLEE**

Christmas morning was different without Finn there to wake everyone up. It made them all very aware of his absence. But they soldiered on and had breakfast together before heading into the living room to open presents. Kurt and Blaine were not surprised that the baby had as many presents under the tree as they did.

"Carole, that is just too adorable," Kurt said as he held up a little crushed velvet Santa outfit with faux fur trim and a matching hat.

"I got it big enough so the baby can wear it next Christmas," Carole said. "I want to see a Christmas card with my grand-baby in that outfit. I have to show off my grandchild to my friends and coworkers."

Besides clothes and toys for the baby, Burt and Carole had bought them a digital camera and camcorder. They demanded that the boys send pictures and video regularly.

"We could just set up an online blog where we can post updates about the baby," Blaine said. "You could print pictures from the site. Then we wouldn't have to worry about file sizes, and my parents could check in too."

"Not to mention our friends," Kurt said. "Tina has been on my case because I haven't sent her any pictures of your baby bump."

"It's only just a little bump right now," Blaine said with a frown. "She can wait until it's bigger. Or see for herself at the wedding."

"Here dad, this is for you and Carole," Kurt said as he handed over a red and green 9x12 envelope.

Burt and Carole looked at each other before Burt tore the envelope open. They pulled out a sizable blue folder with the name of a travel agency embossed in red and white in one corner.

"What is this?" Burt asked without opening the folder.

"That is a trip for two to Hawaii for two weeks," Blaine said.

"You guys never got to take a honeymoon because you were taking care of me," Kurt said quietly. "So Blaine and I decided that it's past time that you got your honeymoon."

"The tickets are open ended," Blaine said. "All you have to do is pick your dates and call the travel agent whose card is in the folder. There's brochures about the resort where you'll be staying and information about a couple sightseeing excursions that are included."

"This is..." Carole started with tears in her eyes.

"Too much," Burt finished for her, but his voice was choked with emotion.

"It's not too much," Kurt insisted. "Not after everything the two of you gave up to keep me safe. Not after everything you've done to support me and Blaine, including being so wonderful about the baby."

"This isn't nearly enough to say thank you," Blaine said quietly. "You've accepted me into your family with open arms. You've been there for both of us through a lot."

"Besides," Kurt said with a lighter tone in his voice. "We will exact repayment in the form of babysitting."

Burt and Carole laughed at that. "Kid, we'd do that for free. That's my grandkid you're talking about."

"I know," Kurt said with a bright smile.

**GLEE**

They stayed in Ohio until New Year's Day. In that time, they were able to catch up with some of their friends who were home for the holidays. Most actually did make it home. It was kind of sad since the last time they had all been together was for Finn's funeral, but they seemed to get past the worst of the grief.

Only Rachel wasn't present. Her excuse was that she had to work the day before and the day after Christmas. Broadway, after all, didn't close for winter break. In fact, it was always very busy that week. Her dads, instead, came to her in New York. Santana reported that she still had bad days, but she was starting to get better.

Burt and Carole did take the Andersons out for dinner while Blaine and Kurt were still home. They wouldn't say exactly what was discussed, but Carole did tell them that she thought that they were coming to terms with things.

Blaine was left alone with Burt one afternoon while Kurt and Carole hit the after Christmas sales at the mall. He took the opportunity to ask Burt a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"Burt, do you still think it's a crazy idea for Kurt and I to get married so young?" Blaine asked.

Burt looked away from the football game they were watching and studied his soon-to-be son-in-law. "At least you were back together before you asked him."

Blaine chuckled. "Actually, he asked me, and we weren't really back together. Well, not for more than ten minutes, anyway."

Burt sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I know I told you I thought you shouldn't try to rush anything. And I still believe that. But I also know how fragile life can be. And if you and Kurt are both sure that this is what you want, then who am I to object. I just want you both to be happy. And now you've got a kid on the way, it seems right."

Blaine nodded. "Thanks. I didn't want you to think that I ignored your advice. I was willing to wait as long as it took for Kurt to be ready. But when Finn died..."

"I get it, kid," Burt said. "Things like that shake you up and make you evaluate what's most important. For Kurt, you're what's most important."

"And he's most important to me," Blaine said.

Burt nodded. "Don't think things are going to be easy, just 'cause you boys have a little money in the bank. Life gets tricky sometimes. _Especially_ when there's a kid involved. But I think you boys can get through it."

"I know we can," Blaine said with determination.

**GLEE**

Back in New York, Blaine and Kurt spent the next ten days doing all of the last minute things they needed to do before the wedding and honeymoon. Most of their friends were scheduled to start back to school on January 14, but Kurt and Blaine had an extra week, since NYADA didn't start until the 20th. So Blaine was finalizing the plans for their honeymoon while Kurt worked with Jane to deal with the wedding.

The time seemed to fly by in a blur of fittings and meetings with the caterer. Two days before the wedding, Blaine had to pick up their rings from the jeweler and pick up their tuxes from the tailor. Most of their friends were getting into town that day by plane or train—Kurt and Blaine had offered to help pay for tickets for whomever couldn't afford the trip or hotel—and then there would be a bachelor party for them at the hotel.

"Dude, where are you?" Sam asked when Blaine answered his phone at about 6 that evening.

"Kurt and I just got in from doing our last minute errands," Blaine said. "We'll get cleaned up and changed and meet you all at the hotel in an hour."

"Perfect," Sam said. "We're all dying for you guys to get here so we can start this party."

Blaine frowned. "Nothing wild Sam. We agreed."

"Nothing wild," Sam said. "Though I think I saw Puck with cooler of beers. But nothing else, I swear."

"Just make sure there are water and juice and lots of food for the pregnant guy," Kurt called out over Blaine's shoulder.

"You hear that?" Blaine asked with a grin.

"Got it," Sam said. "Feed and water the pregnant groom."

When Kurt and Blaine arrived at the hotel suite a little later, all of their friends were there. And they were predictably singing karaoke. While there were a few beer bottles around, it was obvious that Puck hadn't provided much more than one or two per person.

"How did you keep Puck in check?" Kurt asked Sam with curiosity as they watched the relatively tame party.

"Well, he wanted to get strippers," Sam said. "And then I reminded him that since you guys are gay, we'd have to get male strippers, so he backed off that idea pretty quick. The booze was a little harder, but we compromised. I used the Blaine is pregnant tactic and he caved. Two beers per person in the cooler and no more."

Before Kurt could ask any more, Blaine dragged Kurt up to the impromptu stage where the karaoke was set up and they were soon singing a duet.

**GLEE**

Blaine woke up late the next morning still feeling tired after their late night. But it had been fun. Even with the two beer limit, some of them had gotten a little drunk. Marley and Wade were both lightweights. Then again, Blaine had no room to talk since the reason he rarely drank was because he too was a lightweight. Not that it was a problem the night before. Neither he nor Kurt had drunk anything. Puck happily volunteered to drink Kurt's share.

Blaine would have happily slept half the day away if Kurt's phone hadn't woken him. Now Kurt was sitting up in bed talking to Jane about some crisis with the flowers.

"No, she can't substitute lilies for the orchids in the centerpieces," Kurt was saying. "Blaine's mother is allergic to lilies. Do you really want to see one of the mothers of the grooms with eyes swelled shut? Just tell her to do her best, but no lilies and no carnations."

Kurt hung up the phone and sighed. Blaine sat up beside him and leaned his head on Kurt's shoulder. "I get why no lilies, but why no carnations?"

"Because you hate carnations," Kurt said.

"I do," Blaine admitted. "They always look cheap and fake. Especially when they dye them all those weird colors."

Kurt chuckled. "Well, there won't be any carnations at our wedding, dyed or otherwise."

"They just look so fake," Blaine pouted.

"Again, which is why we won't have any at our wedding," Kurt said patiently.

"What's on today's agenda?" Blaine asked around a wide yawn.

"Lunch with the parents," Kurt said. "And then we're all going to see _Annie_. I understand the woman who plays Miss Hannigan looks a lot like Coach Sylvester. After that is the rehearsal and dinner at the hotel."

"Why are our parents staying at a hotel again?" Blaine asked.

"Because we still haven't finished the second guest room," Kurt said. "And if we invited my parents to stay yours might feel slighted. So they can all stay at the hotel."

Blaine shrugged. "Okay. How long before we need to be up and getting ready?"

Kurt grinned. "We have two hours before we have to be ready to meet our parents."

Blaine grinned. Since he had entered his second trimester, his sexual appetite had increased substantially. Thankfully, Kurt was always more than willing to participate in fun time.

**GLEE**

The rehearsal went smoothly and Blaine's parents were actually a lot more enthusiastic about both the baby and the wedding than Blaine had expected. Whatever Burt and Carole had said to them over Christmas had worked.

On Saturday, the two woke up around 9 and lazed in bed for a while until security called to tell them that they had visitors. Looking at each other with surprise, Kurt asked who their visitors were. It turned out that the Andersons and the Hummels were both downstairs. Kurt told the guard to send them up.

They raced to get decent before their parents arrived at their door. They weren't dressed _well_, but at least they had clothes on when the doorbell rang.

"Connor and Lydia said they hadn't seen the apartment yet, so we decided to drop in," Carole said. "And we brought supplies for brunch. So you boys show them around and Burt and I will get everything set up."

With the Hummels there to smooth the way, Brunch was actually a lot more relaxed than any meal with the Andersons had ever been.

"Where have your friends been the last couple days?" Burt asked. "Sam said they were all coming to town for the party Thursday, but other than Sam and Rachel at the rehearsal last night, we haven't seen any of them."

"Well, since they were all here, they spent most of yesterday sightseeing," Kurt said. "And I'm pretty sure they had plans to go on a lunch cruise on one of the boats."

"A lot of them have never been to New York," Blaine said. "Only the ones who were on the team when Nationals was held here."

"Sam told me that you boys paid for their transportation and hotel rooms," Carole said. "That was really nice of you."

"They're our friends and we wanted them to share our day," Kurt said. "If we hadn't made the offer, most of them wouldn't have been able to come."

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon flew by and soon it was time for everyone to start getting ready. The parents headed back to the hotel, promising to meet them at the museum early.

Jane was waiting for them when they arrived, decked out in their new tuxedos and looking impressive. With the expert cut of the tuxedo, you couldn't even see Blaine's small baby belly. She smiled and complimented them before starting in on the last minute details that needed to be gone through.

In truth, there wasn't much that they needed to fix; Kurt and Jane had planned everything out so well. They just needed to be wired with the earpiece microphones they would use for the ceremony and do a quick run through with the string ensemble for the song that they would sing before they were free to greet their guests.

They had decided not to sequester themselves before the ceremony. They wanted to be among their friends and family. So, as the guests began arriving, they were thrilled to see that James Haile and his wife had come. Some of their friends from their Dalton days had come. They had numerous friends from NYADA there. Cassandra July and Carmen Tibideaux were both there. And Isabelle came and greeted Kurt like a long lost son since they hadn't seen actually each other since August.

Eventually, Jane called on Kurt and Blaine's chosen ushers—Artie, Puck, Mike, Wes, David and Trent—to begin ushering the guests to the area where the ceremony was to be held. Kurt had opted in the end for chairs, and it took a little while for the hundred plus guests to be escorted to their seats. While all that was going on, Blaine and Kurt went to a side area with their wedding party and their parents.

The string ensemble began playing a beautiful arrangement of Teenage Dream that Blaine had written, both his experience arranging songs for the Warblers and his composition class at NYADA having paid off. That was the cue for their parents to make their way to their seats in the front row. Then Sam and Rachel walked the length of the aisle together as the final notes of the song faded out.

When the ensemble began to play again moments later, it was the opening notes of "Come What May." Blaine made his way to the steps where the minister was waiting. Once there, he began to sing the first verse and chorus. His eyes were trained on Kurt, who was waiting at the end of the aisle, while every eye of the congregation was trained on him.

Kurt took up the second verse as he slowly made his way to the front of the gathering. His eyes never left Blaine's as they sang to each other just the way he had always dreamed. And when Kurt reached Blaine and they joined hands, their voices joined in harmony and every person in the room knew that they were witnessing something extraordinary. Chills ran down spines and tears formed in many eyes. It was an amazing and emotional performance.

After that, the vows seemed to be almost secondary. They had made their promises to each other in song and everyone present knew it. The officiant said a few opening words to Kurt and Blaine and to the guests, but most of it was just a blur to Blaine as he only had eyes for Kurt. They had prepared vows and when the officiant finally turned to them, they recited those to each other with tears in their eyes and voices thick with emotion.

"I, Blaine Anderson, take you, Kurt Hummel, to be my lawfully wedded husband. In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. With you, I am whole, full, and alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You are my breath, my every heartbeat. I am yours as you are mine. Of this one thing we can be certain.

"I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, your partner in parenthood, your ally in conflict, your greatest fan and your toughest critic, your comrade in adventure, your student and your teacher, your consolation in disappointment, and your accomplice in mischief.

"This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things."

"I, Kurt Hummel, take you, Blaine Anderson, to be my lawfully wedded husband. In your eyes, I have found my home. In your heart, I have found my love. In your soul, I have found my mate. With you, I am whole, full, and alive. You make me laugh. You let me cry. You are my breath, my every heartbeat. I am yours as you are mine. Of this one thing we can be certain.

"I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, your partner in parenthood, your ally in conflict, your greatest fan and your toughest critic, your comrade in adventure, your student and your teacher, your consolation in disappointment, and your accomplice in mischief.

"This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things."

"Do you have the rings?" the officiant asked Sam and Rachel. They each handed him the ring they had been entrusted. "Blaine, will you take Kurt's hand and make your pledge?"

Blaine took the smaller ring and then took Kurt's left hand in his. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my faith in our strength together, and my covenant to learn and grow with you throughout our lives."

"Kurt?" the officiant prompted.

Kurt took the other ring and took Blaine's left hand in his. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, my faith in our strength together, and my covenant to learn and grow with you throughout our lives."

"Now before the people who have assembled here tonight, and in as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you married. You may now kiss each other to seal these promises."

And so they did.

There were cheers and whistles from many of the younger guests as they broke apart and turned to face the gathering with wide smiles and bright eyes. And then the music started once again, only this time it wasn't solemn. This time it was the rather lively intro to U2's "Beautiful Day." As the wedding party began the recession, one by one the glee club began singing, leading off with Artie and then Puck. It had been rehearsed rather sporadically and never with the string ensemble, but it turned out to be a joyful and beautiful tribute to the newly wedded couple.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

The reception was beautiful and elegant. Everything was perfect, down to the last detail. If Blaine hadn't been present for some of last minute panicked phone calls, he never would have believed that everything wasn't exactly the way they had planned it to be. Even the centerpieces, with the sprays of forget-me-nots and violets in place of the orchids were beautiful. There was champagne for those above age and plenty of sparkling cider for those not of age. And the food was both plentiful and delicious. But Blaine's favorite part, aside from the five tiered cake, was dancing with his husband.

They took time to talk with everyone as they made their rounds of the tables. Kurt spent some time catching up with Isabelle. Blaine chatted with James and his wife. They were both taken aside by Carmen Tibideaux at one point and were shocked by the high praise she gave them for their duet. They danced in turns with friends and family members, but took plenty of opportunities to dance together too.

The toasts were touching, especially when Rachel stood up and mentioned that she was only there as a stand in for Finn. "He would have been so proud of you, Kurt. He would have been so happy for the two of you today, because he knew what we all know: that you two were meant to be together. And I know that wherever he is today he's watching over you alongside your mom and celebrating your love along with each of us in this room tonight."

By 11pm, Blaine's feet were swollen and he had to sit and put them up for a while. He ended up at a table surrounded by their glee friends and his feet in Kurt's lap.

"So, where are you going for the honeymoon?" Puck asked.

"Disney World," Kurt said with a smile. That was all for Blaine. While Kurt liked Disney movies and whatnot, Blaine was absolutely obsessed.

"It's going to be so awesome," Blaine said. "I love Disney World and Kurt's never been."

"Well, when I was little, mom and dad couldn't really afford it," Kurt said. "And then Mom died and we just never really got around to big family vacations. Dad would take me to my uncle's cabin sometimes, but that was more fun for him."

"You're going to love Disney," Blaine vowed. "I promise."

"I would love to go to Disney without my parents or kid sister," Kitty said. "No one can ever decide what they want to do."

"Are you going to stay on the Park?" Quinn asked. "Because if you do, then the meal plan is definitely the best way to go."

"We're staying at the Grand Floridian," Blaine said. "And we got the deluxe meal plan. I've even made reservations for all of my favorite restaurants and character meals."

"It's only supposed to be in the 60s there this week," Kurt said. "Too cool to do much swimming, but perfect weather for riding rides. And a lot better than the forecast of ice and snow that's being predicted here."

**GLEE**

The party broke up not long after that conversation. Kurt and Blaine kissed their friends and families goodbye and headed back to their apartment. They had an early morning flight leaving from JFK and wouldn't get to see anyone before they left. Thankfully, Kurt had already packed their bags for the trip.

The cab arrived at 5:30 the next morning. Neither Blaine nor Kurt had gotten more than 4 hours of sleep, but they were both too excited to care. They made it to the airport in plenty of time for their 8am flight and Blaine introduced Kurt to the pleasures of the first class lounge. The flight was just long enough for the two boys to get a good nap before deplaning in Orlando.

"Are you sure we don't need to get our luggage?" Kurt asked for the third time.

"I'm positive," Blaine said. "That's what those tags we put on every bag was for. Our luggage will get to the resort not long after we do. I promise."

Kurt still looked doubtful, but trusted his husband. They headed for the shuttle area, but rather than wait for one of the coach buses, Blaine had arranged for a private car service to take them to their resort.

Once at the resort, Blaine and Kurt were greeted by one of the reception staff who was just too happy and peppy to be real. When Kurt said so, she laughed. "How can I work at the happiest place on earth and not love my job?"

They got their Keys to the Kingdom, the cards which would serve as their room key, meal plan, and credit card while they were there. Soon they were on their way up to their room.

"Oh great Gaga," Kurt exclaimed as soon as he saw the room and the view. "That's Magic Kingdom! And we have our own balcony!"

"It'll be perfect for watching the fireworks at night," Blaine said.

Kurt turned to kiss his husband but was quickly distracted by other things in their room. There were matching Mickey ears made to look like a tuxedo. There were matching Mickey tuxedo t-shirts. There were flameless-candles and a framed print of Mickey and Minnie in wedding garb. There were towels and robes with stylized mickeys and their names embroidered into them. There were chocolates and roses and a fruit basket. There were even rose petals sprinkled across the bed.

"Oh my," Kurt said. "You did all this?"

Blaine flushed. "It wasn't much. I just wanted... this trip to be special."

"It is special," Kurt said as he finally gave Blaine that aborted kiss. "It's special because I'm with you. I'll even agree to give into your inner dork and wear the ears and the shirt, but only for one day. Deal?"

"Deal," Blaine agreed with a grin. "How about we change now and head for the Magic Kingdom?"

"Alright," Kurt agreed. "As long as you aren't too tired. I don't want you to overdo it. After all, yesterday was really busy."

"I'm fine," Blaine said. "And we can go explore for a few hours then come back here for a nap before dinner tonight. We have reservations at the Spirit of Aloha dinner show tonight."

"Sounds good," Kurt said with a smile. He grabbed one of the t-shirts, but stopped when he noticed there was some sort of lanyard next to it. It had several pins on it. "What is this?"

"That's a starter lanyard for pin trading," Blaine said. "It's kind of a thing. You buy pins and trade them with other people. It's a cool way to meet people. I have my own lanyard in my carryon."

Kurt shrugged and decided to just go along with it. The wedding had been for Kurt, but the honeymoon was for Blaine. Well, they were both for both of them, but Kurt had been more invested in the wedding, so it was easy just to follow Blaine's lead now.

Soon enough, they were looking absolutely dorky in their matching shirts and Mickey ears as they took the ferry across the lake to the Magic Kingdom.

As soon as Kurt walked through the front gates, he was absolutely in love.

"We need to get you a first-time sticker," Blaine laughed as he watched Kurt's face.

"This is just... amazing," Kurt said. "It's like stepping into a story book."

"This is Main Street USA," Blaine said. "And it's all designed to draw you in and focus your attention on the castle at the end of the street. But there are some really great little shops along here we can check out. I bet they have tons of baby stuff we can buy for the peanut."

"He's not a peanut," Kurt huffed. "By now, he's the size of a sweet potato, according to the website."

"Well, I like peanuts better," Blaine said. "And we don't know it's a he."

"We will soon," Kurt said with a smirk. "Only two weeks until the big day."

**GLEE**

Kurt loved the Magic Kingdom. He could have stayed there all afternoon if he hadn't noticed Blaine getting tired. Instead, he decided that they definitely had to come back and spend more time there. If nothing else, there was shopping he wanted to do.

They napped and then headed for dinner at the Polynesian. The show was brilliant with the hula and fire dances. Plus Blaine and Kurt loved the food. In fact, Kurt had loved everything about their honeymoon so far.

They made it back to the resort in time to watch the fireworks from their balcony and then made love for the first time as a married couple. It was a truly magical night.

Most of the week went similarly. They would get up and have a leisurely breakfast, sometimes with characters and sometimes at the resort, and then spend the morning and the early afternoon exploring the various parks. Then they would head back for a nap, often including some fun time in bed, before heading out for dinner. A couple nights they went back to Epcot or Magic Kingdom for the parade and fireworks display.

Kurt even got into the whole trading pins phenomenon. He had quite the collection before long. He bought some pins that he didn't want to trade and others he was happy to give away or exchange with other park visitors and staff.

About half way through the week, Blaine scheduled a spa day that included everything from facials to manicures, to massages. And on their last night, Blaine had booked them reservations in Queen Victoria's Room at Victoria and Albert's.

It was an amazing trip and Kurt was elated that Blaine had chosen their destination. Even though they couldn't ride any of the thrill rides because Blaine was pregnant, it didn't really matter. There were still thousands of things to see and do.

After a final character lunch at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom with Winnie the Pooh and friends, they headed back to the resort to meet their ride to the airport and Kurt was happy and tired and ready to go home.

"This was a perfect honeymoon," Kurt told his husband as they rode the ferry back to the resort. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Blaine said with a grin.

"We are definitely coming back when the peanut is old enough to really enjoy it," Kurt said.

"You called him a peanut," Blaine said with a smirk.

Kurt smirked right back at him. "You called the peanut a him."

**GLEE**

A week and two days after their return to New York, Blaine had his 20 week appointment with Dr. Fenton where they were finally going to look to see if they could tell the sex. They had debated the merits of waiting to be surprised and finding out, and both agreed that they would rather know now so they could decorate the nursery. In fact, now that the wedding was out of the way, Kurt was itching to get back together with the decorator to do the nursery and the second guest room.

They had been through several ultrasounds by that point, so Blaine was prepared for the sticky cold gel and Kurt was prepared to hear the impossibly fast whooshing of the baby's heart.

"Well, everything looks good," Dr. Fenton said. "And it looks like the baby is willing to cooperate so we can check the sex."

"Don't keep us in suspense," Kurt chided.

Dr. Fenton chuckled. "It looks like you're having a boy."

"The peanut is a him," Blaine said with a goofy grin.

"We're having a boy," Kurt said with wonder in his voice.

**GLEE**

Burt and Carole were thrilled when they saw the ultrasound video on the baby's blog site along with the news that he was a boy. They called almost as soon as Kurt uploaded the video, as though they were just waiting for it to go up. In truth, they probably had been.

Blaine had been right about the baby helping Carole get past some of her grief by giving her something to look forward to. Blaine and Kurt both knew that it wasn't easy for her, but they were glad that she was able to share their joy and help her heal just a little.

Burt had been reelected that fall, so they were still spending most of their time in DC. Carole had taken to volunteering at a youth center there, hoping to help other teens avoid falling into the trap that had killed both her first husband and her son. It kept her busy and helped her feel like she was doing something to change things for the better.

The baby blog was one of the things that both Carole and Burt loved to check out. Kurt had posted the calendar with all of Blaine's scheduled visits to the doctor, so they would know when to expect a new picture or video of the baby. They also took pictures of Blaine's growing baby belly as time passed and started posting them as well.

The blog wasn't just for the grandparents, however; it was also a chronicle for Kurt and Blaine and eventually the baby to look back at later. Like a baby book for the 21st century. Kurt vowed to do one for each child they might have and add photos throughout their lives.

Blaine loved looking at the various ultrasound pictures that Kurt had posted—even if they were fuzzy and hard to decipher—and seeing how much the baby had developed already. He wasn't as fond of the pictures of himself, but he wasn't so vain as to forbid Kurt from posting them. He couldn't since he couldn't say no to Kurt and Kurt loved those pictures. In fact, he knew for a fact that Kurt adored one of the pictures he had posted. It was taken at Disney on their honeymoon. Kurt had found a maternity vintage Mickey t-shirt and had insisted on buying it for Blaine. It was loose enough to be comfortable, but it definitely showed off Blaine's expanding belly. It was hard to believe that it had been taken only days after their wedding, where Blaine's belly was hardly noticeable thanks to the tailor's expertise.

As January turned to February and February gave way to March, Blaine found himself looking back fondly at the days when his belly was only slightly noticeable. These days, he felt more like a whale than a human. And if the extra weight making it hard to get up and down from bed or the sofa wasn't bad enough, his center of gravity was totally off and he often had problems with his balance.

He was walking every day, just like the doctor ordered, but he had to lean on Kurt more and more as the pregnancy progressed, both literally and figuratively. Kurt didn't seem to mind. In fact, he made a point of insisting that Blaine wait for him after class and walking him to his next class every day. It was sort of sweet, and reminded Blaine of their time in high school.

Burt and Carole came up for a few days during Blaine and Kurt's spring break for the promised shopping weekend. It was actually pretty great seeing Burt get so excited about buying a tiny little baseball mitt and squishy ball for the baby. Carole's advice on getting the essentials for the baby was invaluable. Blaine and Kurt had both checked out lists online that were supposed to help, but they all said something different. Carole was able to simplify things for them.

"You'll definitely want a monitor," Carole told them as they strolled through the store together. "But you really don't need one with a camera. Just a simple radio will do. And Blaine, the bottle warmer looks like it would be a good thing, but you'll have to make the bottles in the kitchen anyway, and the microwave is right there. It's just extra stuff to sit around the counter."

"Less clutter is better," Kurt agreed.

Burt laughed at his son. "Oh, there will be plenty of clutter. Babies aren't known for their tidiness."

Kurt sighed. "I know, Dad, but the fewer extraneous things we collect, the easier it will be to keep things orderly until the baby starts crawling."

"We'll have to baby-proof the apartment," Burt said thoughtfully. "There's plenty of time, but I'll plan to work on that the next trip up."

Blaine and Kurt, neither of whom was very good with household improvements, were quite happy to have him volunteer. "We would really appreciate any help you can give."

"Well, you didn't let me put the crib together, so I have to do something," Burt muttered.

The nursery, while not complete, was definitely coming along. Kurt and their decorator had already gotten all of the furnishings, but Kurt kept waffling on what sort of bedding and window dressing he wanted. And Blaine was still advocating for a wall mural, but they couldn't decide on that until they had a theme for the room.

When they reached the bedding aisle of the store, Carole and Kurt really got down to it. Carole pointed out that not only was an all-white bedding ensemble not visually stimulating for the baby, but it would also be murder to keep clean. They went through several possibilities, with Blaine chiming in his opinion occasionally, until Blaine was just too tire to keep up and headed for the rockers where he could rest with his feet up on an ottoman. Burt joined him and they talked quietly about Ohio State's basketball team and their chances in the NCAA tournament.

"Have you started to feel the baby yet?" Burt asked once the topic of sports had been thoroughly explored.

Blaine grinned. "I've felt him since just after we got back from the honeymoon, but it's only a couple weeks since Kurt could feel him." Blaine shifted in his rocker and felt the baby shift in response. "Here, give me your hand and you should be able to feel him."

Burt let Blaine place his hand where the movement occurred and a minute later they both felt the baby move again. "That will never get old. I used to sleep with my hand on Elizabeth's belly when she was pregnant with Kurt just so I could feel every time he moved."

Blaine smiled. "Kurt does that too. Of course, he also gets grumpy when I have to get up three times a night to pee. He doesn't even wake up, really, just gets this cute frown on his face and it goes away when he can feel us again."

"How's your health?" Burt asked. "I was reading about guys getting pregnant and there are some scary stories out there."

"I'm fine," Blaine said. "We see my doctor every two weeks now and he monitors my health pretty closely. My blood pressure is good, and so are my blood sugar levels. I'm right on target for weight gain and I've been walking in the park with Kurt every day. Being pregnant at my age may not be ideal in a lot of ways, but it actually is a pretty good age health-wise."

"I guess I can see that," Burt said.

"How's Carole been lately?" Blaine asked.

Burt shot him a look but said, "She's doing better and getting excited about being a grandma. Guess the timing was pretty good on the baby thing for her too."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Kurt and Carole found them, carrying the "perfect" baby bedding. It was a red, blue yellow and gray patchwork with a big gray elephant in the center.

"Elephants?" Blaine asked with surprise. It wasn't that he didn't like the bedding, but it wasn't what he had expected Kurt to pick.

"You know," Kurt said with exasperation, "because elephants love peanuts?"

Blaine just nodded. He wasn't about to point out the fact that elephants actually _eat _peanuts. It had taken too long to get Kurt to find something he liked. Besides, they could do a circus or zoo mural. Blaine definitely liked that idea.

**GLEE**

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked sleepily as Blaine shifted into a sitting position. It was still dark out and way too early for either of them to be up, but that didn't mean much where the peanut was concerned.

"Heartburn," Blaine complained as he rubbed his chest. "And the peanut keeps doing high kicks."

"Want me to make you some peppermint tea?" Kurt asked as he too sat up in bed.

"No," Blaine said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "You go back to sleep. One of us should be functioning in our finals tomorrow."

"You sure?" Kurt asked. He was obviously tired, but he hated not being able to help Blaine.

"There's nothing for you to do," Blaine said with a shrug. "I'll just make some tea and work on my composition final. If the peanut settles, I'll come back to bed."

Kurt nodded reluctantly, but lay down and was asleep before Blaine had even reached the door.

Blaine shuffled out to the kitchen with one hand on the hallway wall. It had gotten to be a habit to hang onto something whenever possible because of the balance issues. He had found that he was less walking these days and more waddling. Kurt said it was cute, but Blaine just thought it was annoying. He missed being able to move freely and dance and run. He missed being able to sleep or see his feet.

He had just passed the 33 week mark and he was seriously ready for the day the baby came. He was uncomfortable all the time. His feet seemed to be constantly swollen. His back ached all the time. He couldn't keep his balance. He couldn't get up from the sofa without help. Even getting out of bed was a chore. He never got more than a couple hours of sleep at a time. He was tired and cranky and often found himself taking it out on Kurt for no reason.

But Kurt had been a real saint. He was there every day to go for walks with him, to rub his swollen feet and give him pedicures. He massaged Blaine's back and shoulders. He soothed his leg cramps. He was willing to get up in the middle of the night to hold Blaine's hand when the baby was restless.

If they hadn't been I the middle of finals, Blaine would have let him sit up with him that night too.

With a sigh he put water into the electric kettle and found the peppermint tea that usually helped with the heartburn. Once it had steeped sufficiently, he tossed the tea bag and headed for the music room. He was rather grateful that the walls of the apartment were thick enough that with the door closed, his playing the piano wouldn't bother Kurt. Or the baby once he arrived.

Blaine set his tea on the coaster he kept on the small ledge beside the music stand. His final project for his composition II course was already on the stand. He began to play through what he had already completed and found that for the most part, he liked it. There were a few places that needed tweaking and he still needed to complete the ending, but he an idea for what he wanted to do for that now.

He had written a piano concerto based on being pregnant. The music reflected his mood and emotions through the various stages. All he had left to do was finish it. He had left off with the fear and confusion of birth, using minor keys and chaotic and discordant tones to mirror the anxiety Blaine felt about the coming birth. But the finale needed to replicate the joy he knew was coming once he held his baby in his arms.

Blaine closed his eyes and began to play a softly sweet lullaby which slowly evolved into an anthem of joy which echoed the various snippets of melody from earlier in the piece. It was exultant and joyful. And slowly he brought it back down to the simple lullaby until the last note faded.

With a triumphant grin, Blaine picked up his pencil and began to scribble on the sheet music.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six**

Blaine woke to the feeling of fingers carding through his hair, gently untangling the knots that were in the wilder than usual curls. His cheek was pressed against the piano keys and back ached fiercely.

"Mmm…Wha?" Blaine mumbled as he blinked his eyes open and tried to sit up. He found Kurt standing over him, smiling affectionately. "Oh… must've fallen asleep. Did I miss anything?"

"It's okay," Kurt told him gently. "You still have two hours before your drama II final. Why don't you go take a hot shower to try and loosen up the muscles in your back that I'm sure are screaming after sleeping like that. I'll make breakfast."

Blaine nodded sleepily and let Kurt help him to his feet. "Thanks. Love you." And then he shuffled his way back down the hall to their bedroom.

Thirty minutes later, Blaine made it to the dining table and, with a sigh, sat down next to his husband. Kurt had made them western omelets, Blaine's favorite, as well as rye toast and some of the fruit salad left over from dinner the night before.

"So, did you finish your composition?" Kurt asked as Blaine took a sip of his orange juice.

"I did," Blaine said. "I'll have time to rehearse it a few times this afternoon before I actually have to present it tomorrow."

"Mind if I listen?" Kurt asked.

"I'd love your opinion," Blaine said. "I'm kind of taking a risk with the finale, so I'd appreciate hearing what you think. You ready for your final with Cassandra July?"

Kurt groaned. "Ugh. I don't think I'll ever be ready for any of her tests. I know that I've gotten better since coming to NYADA, but I will never be the best dancer in class."

I think you've improved a lot," Blaine said loyally. "You've loosened up so much since Mike insulted your shimmy, which, by the way, I still love."

Kurt chuckled. "Only you. But thank you. I figure if I can get a B in my dance classes, I'll be thrilled. So I'm going to do my best and not fret."

"Good," Blaine said before leaning over to offer his husband a kiss.

Kurt smiled as he went back to his breakfast. "What about you? Are you going to be able to stay awake long enough to get through your drama final?"

"I think I got about four hours of sleep after I finished up the concerto," Blaine said with a shrug. "That's more than I've gotten in one shot for a couple weeks. I'll be okay."

"Do you want to run through your monologue one more time?" Kurt asked. "We have time. Or you could practice on our way to school."

Blaine grinned. "I can entertain the driver."

Since Blaine's balance had really gotten bad over the last couple weeks, they had started using a car service to get to and from school. It was more reliable than a cab and they could afford it.

"Speaking of the car," Blaine said. "It should be here soon."

"Well then, I'll just put these dishes in the dishwasher and we can get ready to go."

**GLEE**

Exams were done and Blaine and Kurt finally had time to spend together without the pressure of school over their heads. Of course, that was when Blaine took a tumble on the way from the car to the elevator. He was too stubborn to wait for Kurt and lost his balance half way across their building's lobby. Kurt was by his side in an instant and insisted that they at least take a trip to see Dr. Fenton, since Blaine was adamant that he didn't need to go to the hospital.

Dr. Fenton's receptionist had gotten them an emergency appointment and the doctor had checked him and the baby out almost the minute they arrive.

"Everything looks fine," Dr. Fenton told them after monitoring the baby's heart and doing a thorough exam. "The fall didn't harm the baby at all. Looks like you'll have some decent bruises, though, Blaine."

"So I can go home?" Blaine asked hopefully.

"You can go home," Dr. Fenton told him with a small smile. "But I think you should go onto modified bed rest. Your blood pressure is slightly higher than I would like and with your problems with balance, I think it would be best."

While Blaine pouted at the thought of being cooped up, Kurt asked, "What exactly does modified bed rest entail?"

"I want Blaine either on the couch or in bed as much as possible," Dr. Fenton said. "No more trips out to the grocery or to school. And if you feel the need to get up and move around a little, no longer than 20 minutes on your feet at a time, Blaine, with plenty of rest between."

"School's done for the semester," Kurt said. "So that won't be a problem. I take it that our daily walks are out, as well?"

"Definitely," Dr. Fenton said.

"What about sex?" Blaine asked hopefully.

"Sex is fine," Dr. Fenton said. "As long as you aren't trying anything too acrobatic or positions that would have you on your feet for prolonged periods."

"Couldn't get acrobatic if I wanted before this, so that's no change," Blaine muttered as he rubbed his swollen belly. Not long into Blaine's third trimester, they had found that intercourse was just too much trouble. They usually relied on hand jobs and blow jobs unless Blaine was really horny. There was no way that Blaine could top, even from the bottom, because of his belly, so they usually ended up spooned on their sides. Sex had become rather tame as a result. It was rather frustrating for both of them, but especially for Kurt, who enjoyed bottoming as much as he liked topping, and whose hormones weren't suppressing his libido.

"I'm going to give you a new prescription for medication to help with your blood pressure and we'll see if we can ease up the restrictions at your appointment next week," Dr. Fenton said.

Fifteen minutes later, they were in the car on the way back to the apartment. "At least there are only three weeks until the scheduled C-section," Kurt said optimistically.

"Yeah," Blaine sighed. "But I was hoping to do some of the last minute shopping with you. We haven't bought diapers or formula or about a dozen other things on the list Carole made for us."

"Well, we can order a lot of that online," Kurt said. "So we can still do it together. Plus I've been thinking about using the cloth diaper system you mentioned."

"The one where you can use disposable inserts when you're out?" Blaine asked finally cheering up. "And we can sign up with the diaper service, so we don't have to wash all those diapers."

"I did consider the service," Kurt said. "Because, honestly, the best part about disposable diapers in my opinion is the fact that I would never have to get quite so up close and personal with poop."

"Admit it," Blaine said with a grin. "You're only agreeing because you can get diaper covers in a lot of different colors."

"Fine," Kurt huffed but a small smile was twitching the corner of his mouth. "I want our child to look good, even his diaper."

"Of course you do," Blaine said with a smile and then leaned over to kiss his husband.

**GLEE**

The three weeks that followed were even worse than Blaine had imagined they would be. Sure, Kurt did his best to keep him happy and entertained, but Blaine wasn't a person who normally just sat around the house doing nothing. Even when he was home, he was usually doing something. He and Kurt were alike in that way, and it was part of why they got on so well living together. Books, movies, and daytime television could only hold his attention for so long before he was ready to get up and do something. But most of his normal activities were now out of the question. He couldn't clean the house. He couldn't bake. He couldn't take a walk or go window shopping. He couldn't make up strange choreography for his favorite songs. He couldn't even play the piano for long because it made his back ache too much now.

Kurt did his best to try and help Blaine, but somehow all of his efforts seemed to annoy Blaine rather than help. And with his hormones all over the place, Blaine had little control over how much he let that annoyance show, often yelling at Kurt and then crying moments later for being mean.

"I really can't wait for the peanut to get here," Kurt sighed as Blaine cried on his shoulder after one such outburst. This time it had been over a missing piece of the jigsaw they were putting together.

Blaine sniffled and nodded into Kurt's shoulder. "Me too. I hate feeling like this. I hate being cooped up all the time. I hate looking like a bloated hippo. I hate the gas and the heartburn. I hate the fact that I can't see my feet and can't bend over to tie my shoes. And I hate that we're missing a puzzle piece."

Kurt smiled and began singing softly. "_I finally found you: my missing puzzle piece. I'm complete_."

Blaine chuckled as he sat back and brushed away the last of his tears. "I don't feel much like a teenage dream these days. No skin tight jeans for me."

"Leave the skinny jeans to me," Kurt teased. "I look better in them anyway."

"Hey!" Blaine protested and swatted his husband's arm. "I look damned good in my skin tight jeans when I'm not 9 months pregnant with your kid!"

"Yes, you certainly do," Kurt agreed and pulled Blaine back into his arms. "But I think you look pretty great all swollen and pregnant, too."

Blaine smiled at his husband and leaned over to kiss him briefly. "I really wish I had the energy to make love right now. I don't think I've ever loved you more than I do right this minute."

"Me too," Kurt said. "To both thoughts."

Blaine supposed, as they snuggled up on the sofa together, with the puzzle forgotten for the time being, that perhaps Kurt was actually pretty good at pulling him from his moods.

**GLEE**

The day of the scheduled C-section eventually arrived. Burt and Carole had come up from DC two days before and Connor and Lydia had arrived just the night before, so they had a full house for their final night without a baby in residence.

Carole and Lydia were almost giddy with the impending birth, asking questions about everything from why they decided to use cloth diapers to how much weight Blaine had gained (only2 pounds over the recommended weight, thank you very much). Burt and Connor pestered the young men about what name they had chosen, but Kurt and Blaine were both adamant that they wanted to wait until they met the peanut before saying anything for sure.

Choosing a name had been a long and arduous process with both of them vetoing numerous options for various reasons (ranging from there were too many options for playground teasing to they just didn't like the name). In the end, however, they had both agreed right away on the middle name but had kept two options for the first name. They would make the final decision when the peanut was around to have a say in the matter. Blaine had visions of asking the baby, and somehow the infant would let them know which one he liked. Kurt thought he was crazy, but let it go.

That night they went to be early, leaving the grandparents to fend for themselves. Blaine was scheduled for the procedure at 8 in the morning, so he and Kurt had to be at the hospital by 5:30 to check in and get prepped. Thankfully, Kurt wasn't too squeamish about blood, because Blaine really wanted him in the delivery room with him. The grandparents would come not long before the procedure to see them and would likely stay until they got a chance to hold the baby.

Dr. Fenton had gone over everything with them when they had created their birthing plan. Kurt would be in the room with them and cut the cord. They had both decided against videoing the event. The screen would be lowered a bit so that Blaine could see when the baby was born. The baby would be given to Kurt as soon as he was cleared medically. They were donating the cord blood to stem cell research. Kurt wanted to have the baby with them as much as possible so the he could start bonding, so one or both of them would be with the baby for all procedures. Blaine, as a male, couldn't breast feed, but his body would produce colostrum for the first two days after birth, so he would breastfeed while still in the hospital and switch to formula before they went home. That way the baby would get all the antibodies from Blaine to keep him healthy. And the hospital had special private rooms for new families, where they could all be together until Blaine and the peanut were discharged. And their son would not be circumcised.

Even knowing exactly what to expect didn't prepare Blaine for the reality, the next morning. It was scary being admitted to the hospital for surgery, even surgery that would result in the birth of their son. They had done all the pre-admission forms the week before, so they only had to check in when they arrived. But going through the process of changing into the hospital gown and facing the inevitability of the moment was nerve-wracking. It wasn't until just before they were taken into the operating room, after both sets of grandparents had visited, that Blaine was able to relax a little.

"These scrubs are hideous," Kurt complained when he returned from his sojourn with a nurse to get ready. "It's a good thing we nixed the camera for this event or I would have needed to destroy any evidence that I ever wore anything so atrocious."

That simple moment of normalcy was all it took to make Blaine laugh and unwind. This would all be okay.

**GLEE**

Watching his son be born was one of the best moments of Blaine's life. Having Kurt right by his side made it even more precious. Blaine realized in that moment that all of his best moments so far had been with Kurt by his side: winning Nationals, making love for the first time, getting married, and now sharing their son's birth. There had been a few awful times too, but those times were bearable because they were with Kurt and the good times were a hundred times better because they were with Kurt. In that moment, when Blaine's heart seemed to be overflowing with love for the peanut, he realized that it was even more filled with love for his husband.

Kurt, for his part, couldn't seem to decide who to focus all of his love and attention on. His eyes went back and forth from the baby to Blaine, always filled with love and unshed tears of joy.

When the nurse handed their son to Kurt, still crying from his abrupt entrance into the world, Blaine thought his heart would burst with love.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

"So?" Burt asked. "What's his name? You can't just keep calling him Peanut."

Burt had somehow won the right to be the first grandparent to hold the baby and was currently doing just that. Even as he spoke to Kurt and Blaine, his eyes never left the little boy in his arms.

Kurt and Blaine shared a look that spoke volumes. "Believe it or not, Peanut is actually listed in the baby names books and databases we checked out," Kurt said. "But no, we didn't name him Peanut."

"Though I reserve the right to call him that until he's old and gray," Blaine said. "Especially when it will most embarrass him: in front of his friends when he's a teenager."

The grandparents all chuckled at that. "So what did you decide?" Carole asked.

"While Peanut did not coo at either name we present to him," Blaine said with disappointment, "we did decide that one definitely fits him better than the other."

"So, meet Benjamin Finn Hummel," Kurt said. "Or Ben for short."

"Only I get to call him Peanut," Blaine said possessively. He was a little loopy from the pain medication.

"Okay, fine," Carole said. "Now stop hogging Ben, Burt. It's my turn."

Blaine and Kurt watched with amusement as the grandparents argued good naturedly about who got to hold Ben and when their turn was up. In truth, they were both relieved that there hadn't been stronger reactions to his name. Carole could have been upset because they named him for Finn. It was for that reason that Kurt had taken her aside the evening before and told her at least that part. They hadn't wanted to surprise her. Knowing Carole, she had probably told Burt and possibly even Connor and Lydia.

The other part that could have been taken poorly was the fact that they had gone with Hummel for his last name. But they had prepared for that possibility months ago. Before the wedding, Blaine had taken his father aside and explained why he was going to take Kurt's last name. Cooper would be able to have children to carry on the Anderson name, whereas Kurt was the only Hummel. That and the fact that both he and Kurt felt that hyphenating their names would be too cumbersome and pretentious for a child. Conner had looked slightly disappointed at the time, but he and Lydia had actually accepted and supported the decision.

So really, the only surprise was the first name.

"So, what was the other option?" Lydia asked when she was finally getting her turn to hold Ben.

"Parker," Kurt said. "We also considered Porter for a while, but gave that one up when we realized that people might shorten it and then we would have had Burt, Kurt and Port."

There were more chuckles when Kurt shivered with overdramatic revulsion.

"Hey Mom, give me my kid," Blaine said. "I've barely gotten to hold him and I think I'm going to fall asleep soon. You can fight over him again then."

"Actually, we should all go and let you get some rest," Burt said. "But we'll be back this evening for regular visiting hours."

"Bring real food," Blaine said as he accepted Ben from his mother. "Dr. Fenton said I could eat whatever as long as I'm not nauseated."

"We'll bring you both something," Carole promised.

Soon the grandparents were gone and Blaine and Kurt were left with their son. "So Papa, what are you going to do while I sleep?"

"I'm going to go with Ben to get his shots," Kurt said. "And then if he's willing to sleep for a while after that, I might just take a nap, too."

Blaine's eyes were already starting to droop. "Sounds good. You should probably take him now."

Kurt did and before he even had straightened back up, Blaine was asleep.

**GLEE**

Bringing Ben home was a joyful day, but it was also exhausting. Somehow, Carole and Lydia had pulled together a party at the last minute that included several of their friends from NYADA, Isabelle, Rachel, and Santana. Isabelle dragged Kurt off for a long chat and Blaine was left to try and defend his son from grabbing hands that all wanted to hold him. For some reason, Blaine just didn't want everyone and their brother to touch Ben. It was one thing for his and Kurt's parents to hold him, but it was something entirely different for a room full of people to be cooing over him.

Blaine was glad when Ben started fussing and he had an excuse to take him to the nursery. He grabbed a bottle of formula on the way and had soon changed Ben's diaper, and then he sat down in the rocking chair to feed him.

Blaine woke a while later to Kurt gently shaking his shoulder. Blaine glanced down to see that Ben was sound asleep in his arms.

"They've all gone," Kurt said with a smile. "You can put him down and go take a nap for a while."

Blaine held Ben out for Kurt to take him and then struggled from the rocker while Kurt put him into his crib. Moving around was still painful and would be for a while until his stitches healed completely, which the doctor warned would take a couple weeks.

"It's okay," Blaine said around a yawn. "I'm feeling better after that cat nap."

"Seriously Blaine," Kurt said. "Go rest. You just had major surgery. I have no idea what our mothers were thinking organizing a party like this when you're still recovering. You need to sleep so you can heal. We both need to take advantage of having our parents here, because in a few days, they'll all be gone and we'll be left to take care of Ben on our own."

Blaine nodded and followed Kurt out of the nursery. He yawned again. "Fine. I know when I'm beat. I'll take that nap."

Kurt leaned over and kissed his cheek. "And I'll make sure no one disturbs you for a while. I also left your pain medication on the night stand. Take it."

Blaine nodded and moved slowly towards their bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers and crawled under the covers, infinitely glad for the chance to sleep. The pain pills were not his favorite things, but they soon had him drifting back into a blissful rest.

**GLEE**

Connor and Lydia left two days later. Connor had a business meeting that just couldn't be postponed. Two days after that, Burt and Carole headed back to Ohio to check on the garage before going back to DC. That left Kurt and Blaine alone to deal with Ben.

At first, having the baby all to themselves was blissful. They didn't have to fight for time to hold him or cuddle him. But as the days wore on, and Blaine's stitches took time to heal, Ben's constant needs began to wear on them both. Neither of them was getting a full night's sleep. Blaine was sore and cranky and tired of being cooped up in the house. Kurt was going crazy trying to help Blaine and Ben and still keep the house running smoothly.

Two weeks after coming home from the hospital, they were both on edge and starting to snip at each other.

"Damn it Blaine, can't you remember to rinse out the bottle when Ben's finished with it?" Kurt griped one morning as Blaine was eating breakfast. "Now this smells foul and who knows what's growing in here!"

"Excuse me, Kurt, but you try comforting a sobbing infant at two in the morning while scrubbing out a used bottle," Blaine snapped back.

"You could have woken me up," Kurt pointed out. "I would have helped."

Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he spoke again, he was much calmer. "You needed your sleep. You've been up with him every night this week."

Kurt sighed as he joined his husband at the table. "So have you, sweetie. This is just crazy. We have to find a way to get him to sleep more than two hours at a time."

Blaine nodded his agreement. "I was reading one of those books you brought home. It says that you can use feeding and nap schedules to slowly work him up to sleeping for longer at night. I think we should give it a try."

"And we should maybe start looking for a nanny sooner than we planned," Kurt said. "I think we both need time outside of this apartment. Even if it's only for a couple hours a day, I think it would do us both the world of good."

"Agreed," Blaine said with relief. "The good news is that I have my check up with Dr. Fenton today. Hopefully he'll tell us that I can start getting more active. I'd love to just take a walk in the park or down to the store to get coffee. I miss coffee Kurt. Not coffee we make here, but going out for coffee and just sitting in the coffee shop to savor it."

Kurt chuckled at Blaine's wistful tone and kissed his husband. "I know sweetie. I think Ben might have to come with us on these excursions now."

"I don't mind," Blaine said. "In fact, it would be really great for all three of us to stroll through the park together, with him in his stroller or we could get one of those baby slings for him."

"No slings," Kurt said with a shudder. "We are not hipsters, Blaine. We already have one of those nice sturdy baby carriers that look like a backpack. But Ben will have to get a little bigger before we can actually use it. He has to be at least 8 pounds first."

Blaine pouted, but perked up almost right away. "Well, we'll just have to do the whole stroller thing then."

"It's probably better for you to wait a little longer anyway," Kurt said. "I know your stitches are coming out today, but you still get pretty sore."

"Come on," Blaine said cheerfully. "Let's go get showered and dressed for the doctor. And then maybe we can actually take that walk in the park afterwards."

**GLEE**

Once they were able to get out of the apartment, things did improve. Blaine was cleared by Dr. Fenton and began jogging in the park every morning to get back in shape. That time away helped him clear his mind and release any pent up tensions. Kurt started taking yoga classes in the evenings for the same reason. Since neither of them had to work for the summer, they spent time each day out with Ben, doing something as a family, even if it was only a trip to the corner coffee shop or the grocery store.

The search for a nanny was not easy. Kurt was very particular about who would be allowed to watch their child. In truth, so was Blaine. They went to three agencies before they found one that they liked, and then they went through about two hundred resumes before selecting a dozen to interview.

In the end, they selected an au pair, rather than a nanny. They arranged for her to have a studio apartment in their building rather than have her live with them. They both thought it would be healthier for them and the girl they chose. Sophie was actually from France. She had come to the US to study early childhood education at NYU. But when she graduated, she did not want to return home because she was dating a girl she met in college. Becky, her girlfriend, was a couple years younger and lived on campus. The extra time in the US would give them time to figure out what they wanted to do once Becky graduated. They would have Sophie for at least two years.

Because Sophie was already out of school and hadn't been placed yet, she was available to start right away. So by the first week of August, Sophie was watching Ben for at least three hours every day so that they couple could do grown up things, either together or apart. It certainly helped them ease the tension between them. Having the all clear for sex—and Blaine getting on birth control—helped ease that tension even more.

Even once Sophie was around, they still liked to do something as a family as often as they could. But once school started back up in September, that got harder to keep up daily. In fact, a lot changed once school started back. Sophie was needed more for when they both had classes, so there was less time for them to do things independently. Blaine was okay with that. By the time he got home each afternoon, he was more than ready to spend some quality time with Ben and Kurt.

Getting back into classes was a bit harder. His first day of dance II with Cassie July was torture.

"Still some baby fat around the middle there, Anderson," she said coolly after looking him over from tip to toe. "Lose it."

But as hard as Blaine had worked to try and get in shape since the birth, it was not that easy to lose the extra weight. He made a vow to redouble his efforts, but he knew that there were some things that would never change. For instance, his hips would never revert completely to their pre-baby shape. He could lose all the fat in the world, but his bone structure was forever altered.

At least he was able to keep up in class. Mostly. For all of her harsh criticisms, Cassie wasn't nearly as hard on him as he thought she might be. And after class, she called him over to talk. He thought she was going to ream him out, but instead, she asked to see pictures of the baby. Of course, he was happy to bring out his wallet and show her.

Kurt told a similar story that evening after his first lesson with Carmen Tibideaux. Apparently the two women had taken an active interest in their family after coming to the wedding. That was not necessarily a bad thing, considering how hard it was for them to keep up with their homework in the weeks that followed. They scheduled study time while Sophie was on duty, but there always seemed to be more than they could do in the daytime. And in the evenings, Ben was taking up more and more time.

As the boy began to grow and sleep longer at night, he spent more time awake during the daylight hours. And when he was awake, he wanted attention. Both Kurt and Blaine couldn't resist giving him all the love and affection any baby could want, but that meant that they had little time to work while he was awake and had to try and cram their work in after he was down for the night, when they themselves should have been sleeping.

Despite what most people might think, just because NYADA was a performing arts college did not mean that they didn't have homework and regular classes too. They had to write papers and take exams. They had classes like music history or theater management which included math and business. Blaine was majoring in both musical theater and composition and was also working towards a teaching certification in music. Kurt was a double major in musical theater and playwriting. That was a lot of work on top of being new parents.

Somehow, they made it to Thanksgiving without falling apart, but it felt like a near thing to both of them. This year, both sets of grandparents had decided to come for the holiday. Blaine didn't kid himself that they were coming to see him. They were coming for Ben, but that was okay. He wanted his son to know how much he was loved and never doubt it for a second.

When Burt and Carole arrived on Wednesday evening, followed closely by Connor and Lydia, they saw just how exhausted Kurt and Blaine were. But when Blaine almost fell asleep while rinsing their dinner dishes, it was too much for the parents to take.

Carole took charge. "That's it; you boys are going to bed. Burt and I will listen for Ben in the night and take care of him. I don't want to see either of you again until after 10 tomorrow morning. Now shoo."

Kurt and Blaine exchanged looks and then meekly headed for bed.

That entire weekend was one of rest and relaxation for them. The grandparents took care of Ben and left them to catch up on much needed sleep. They also gave them time on Friday and Saturday to get ahead on their work for school, so that they wouldn't get so far behind in the last four weeks of classes. By the time the grandparents all headed out on Sunday after brunch, Blaine felt like he had hardly seen his parents or his son all weekend, but he also felt a lot more prepared for the end of the semester.

**GLEE**

That Christmas was a lot different from the previous one. Now that the grandparent had seemingly bonded, it wasn't a surprise that Burt and Carole had invited the Andersons to join them for Christmas day. Nor was it a surprise that both sets of grandparents spent entirely too much money on Ben. What was a surprise for the grandparents was when Ben started scooting around the floor on his belly, using his feet to propel himself. He was also get up to his hands and knees and rocking. He wasn't crawling yet, but he was getting close. And he could focus in on things that he wanted and go after them with determination. Christmas morning, he had a field day with going after wrapping paper and tearing it up or shoving it in his mouth before someone took it away.

Ben was also really developing his own looks and personality. His hair, while curly, wasn't nearly as wild as Blaine's, nor was it as dark. It was only slightly darker than Kurt's chestnut hair. And his eyes had turned a vibrant shade of green, not Blaine' hazel or Kurt's blue. He was eating some baby food along with his formula and had definite opinions about which ones he liked and which he hated. The food he hated usually ended up all over whoever was feeding him, so it was pretty obvious to everyone involved.

He had started babbling baby nonsense. The strings of "da-da-da-da-da" had both Kurt and Blaine hopeful that he would say daddy as his first word. Of course, bottle was just as likely a candidate since "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba" was his other favorite string of sounds. They were reading to him every night and prompting him to learn new syllable sounds and it seemed to be working. Ben definitely recognized his own name and the word "no," even if he usually just ignored them when they said it.

Being the center of everyone's attention was definitely high on ben's priority list. If the grown-ups started talking and not paying enough attention to him, he inevitably did something to grab their attention. During Christmas dinner, he stole the spoon when Blaine got momentarily distracted from feeding him and tossed it at his inattentive daddy. Burt joked that he was just like Kurt at that age, seeking attention.

"What do you mean at that age?" Kurt countered. "I'm still seeking to be the center of attention."

"We'll show you later," Blaine said. "But he absolutely loves to dance. Just stand him up while holding both hands and turn on the music and he just starts going."

"His pediatrician says it's good for him," Kurt said. "He's gaining muscle strength and balance so he'll be able to walk soon."

"He's not even crawling yet," Carole said with surprise. "They really think he'll walk soon?"

"Some kids don't ever crawl," Blaine said with a shrug. "Some just skip right to walking."

"Blaine crawled for maybe a week or two before he figured out he could get around easier on two feet," Lydia recalled fondly. "And he wasn't much older than Ben when he did."

"Not Kurt," Burt said with a chuckle. "He was content sitting on his butt and letting his mom do everything for him. Didn't crawl much. Didn't walk until he was 16 months or so. I think he only started walking so he wouldn't have to sit in his diaper anymore. He was potty trained within a couple months of when he started walking."

"Lord, I thought Finn was never going to be potty trained," Carole remembered. She was smiling and chuckling, but there was sadness behind her eyes. "But he was into everything. He crawled pretty much right when they said he would and walked when he was about a year old. And once he started moving, he never stopped."

It was the first time that Carole had really talked about Finn with anything other than tears and both Blaine and Kurt counted it as a good change.

"I bet he was a better eater than Ben here," Kurt said wryly. "I've never seen a pickier eater."

"I have," Burt said. "You not only had your favorite foods, but your favorite brands. Carrots were Gerber. Applesauce was Beechnut. And you like the ham dinner from some organic brand I can't remember. God forbid I got organic carrots or Gerber applesauce."

Blaine and Kurt exchanged glances and laughed. "He's still like that," Blaine said. "I once brought home an organic fresh-ground peanut butter, thinking with his healthy food obsession, he'd be grateful."

"Oh no," Burt said with a smirk. "Nothing but Jif for my boy."

"I know that now," Blaine chuckled.

"I like what I like," Kurt said with a careless shrug.

"Well, Finn never was picky," Carole said.

"Neither was Blaine," Lydia confirmed. "He'd eat pretty much anything."

"Has Ben started teething yet?" Connor asked.

"Not yet," Kurt said. "But his pediatrician thinks it won't be long. A few more weeks at most."

"Get ready for more sleepless nights then," Lydia predicted.

Talk continued to focus around Ben's changes and achievements through the rest of dinner.

**GLEE**

It was late on Christmas night when Blaine went down to the kitchen to get a bottle for Ben. He made up the bottle and then headed into the living room to feed him. He found Carole there, staring into the Christmas lights. She didn't say anything at first and Blaine remained quiet out of respect.

"Finn always loved Christmas," Carole said quietly after a while. "Some days I just miss him so much it feels like I'll never stop hurting. But then, there are days like today when I realize that there are still so many things left to experience, so many reasons to go on. Ben is definitely one of those reasons. So are you and Kurt. And Burt of course.

"I never really thanked you boys for what you did for me when you named Ben," Carole said. "It means a lot to me to think that even a small part of Finn will live on. He'll be remembered."

"Kurt and I want to tell Ben all about his Uncle Finn," Blaine said. "He was such a special person."

Carole nodded. "He was. He would have been so proud to be an uncle." She sighed. "How's Rachel?"

"We don't get to see her much," Blaine admitted. "Her schedule with the show is pretty hectic. But she seems to be doing better. I think it was really hard for her the first few months, but the last time we all got together, she was happy and laughing. Kurt talks to her more than I do, but I think she's getting past it."

"Good," Carole said. "I know how much she loved my son, but she shouldn't spend her life mourning for him. She's young and she deserves to be happy. She shouldn't waste half her life mourning like I did. Then again, she doesn't have a baby to raise alone like I did."

With that, Carole rose from the sofa and smiled sadly at Blaine before heading off to bed.

**GLEE**

Kurt found Blaine standing over Ben's portable crib in the wee hours of the morning. He was just standing there and watching their son sleep.

"Hey," Kurt said quietly as he wrapped his arms around his husband from behind. "You okay?"

Blaine leaned into Kurt's embrace. "Yeah, just thinking. I ran into Carole earlier."

"She okay?" Kurt asked with concern.

"I think she going to be alright," Blaine said. "But it just made me think. Kurt, we have to cherish every minute we get to be with Ben. Because you never know what could happen. I don't ever want to look back and regret not spending enough time with him, not loving him enough."

"You won't," Kurt promised. "Because Ben isn't going anywhere. And neither are we. We're going to watch him grow up into a strong and independent person. He's going to love and be loved. He's going to laugh and cry and sometimes rage against the unfairness of life. But we'll be right by his side when he does. We're going to cheer when he graduates from college and dance at his wedding. And we're going to be pests when he gives us our first grandchild."

Blaine finally tore his eyes away from his son and turned in Kurt's arms. "I don't think I can ever tell you how much I love you. I don't think I'll ever be able to express how much you mean to mea and how happy you make me."

"I know, though," Kurt said. "I know because I feel the same way and I can see it in your eyes. And I can feel it when you hold me. And I can hear it in your voice every single time you say my name."

"We're going to make it, aren't we," Blaine asked. "Against all the odds, we're going to be that rare exception that makes it to the end."

"We are," Kurt agreed. "Because I figured out early on that I simply can't live without you."

"So we'll get through whatever life throws at us together?" Blaine asked.

"Always," Kurt vowed.

**A/N:** So, just the epilogue left...Hope you have all enjoyed this little story. Thanks to everyone who has written reviews. It really does make my day to read your words of encouragement. Thanks! Jules


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It was strange being back at McKinley after so long. It had been fifteen years since Blaine had graduated, sixteen since Kurt's graduation, and while they had been back to Lima plenty of times to visit Carole and Burt, they hadn't been inside the school. Not much had changed, Blaine decided. The walls had been painted, but the lockers were still that dull taupe and the floors looked like they had been stripped and waxed one time too many.

"It doesn't seem any different," Kurt murmured quietly as he took Blaine's hand in his own.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Blaine said as he stopped by Kurt's senior year locker. "This is where I surprised you with my transfer."

Kurt tugged his husband along a little further. "And this is where you gave me that gum wrapper ring. I still have it, you know."

Blaine chuckled. "I know. I found a couple years ago when I was looking for something else."

"We should probably get going or we're going to be late," Kurt said.

"First I want a kiss," Blaine said with a smile. "We could never kiss in the halls back then and I want a kiss from my boyfriend."

Kurt obliged Blaine with a sappy grin and then pulled away. "Come on, Blaine Warbler. We have some place to be."

They followed the hall past the old glee room and found the new hallway where people were still milling around before the ceremony. Above the archway leading to the addition to the school were the words: "Finn Hudson Memorial Wing for Performing Arts."

The new wing of the school had state of the art dance studios, a chorus room, a band room, a few other music rooms, a recording studio, and the brand new glee room. Best of all was the brand new auditorium where students could perform. It was bigger and better than the old auditorium, which had been destroyed in a tornado a few years earlier. Thankfully the school was closed for the summer at the time and no one had been hurt. But this auditorium was ten times nicer than the April Rhodes Auditorium.

"Here are the men of the hour," Mr. Schuster said as he greeted them with a wide smile and hugs. He had been made the school's music department chair a few years ago and had been instrumental in helping get the new wing built. "I still can't tell you how much this means to all the kids here."

"Believe us when we say, we know," Blaine said.

"Glee club meant so much to all of us," Kurt said. "And it meant the most to Finn, so we thought it was a fitting tribute to him."

"We wanted to do something so that every kid here can know the joy of music and performing," Blaine said.

In truth, they had more than built the wing; they had created an endowment that meant that the school would have the funds for performing arts programs well into the future. And, knowing how the politics in that town worked, even if the school board got it into their heads to try and redirect the funds, it was so well protected that they couldn't. They would spend the money on what it was intended for or not have the money at all.

Mr. Schuster headed off to get the students ready to perform for the ceremony. They were celebrating the opening with a concert from the current glee club. They would perform between boring speeches to keep the entire thing from becoming tedious.

Kurt led the way into the auditorium and quickly spotted their family. Burt and Carole had saved them seats in the front row. Beside them on one side were Connor and Lydia, who had also contributed to the construction of the wing and endowment fund. On the other side were Ben and Amy. Ben was now 14 and trying to look cool in front of the other teens in the room. Amy, who had been born within weeks of Blaine's graduation from NYADA, was just starting to notice boys and had her eyes glued on some high school boys.

"We're going to have to chain her down in a couple years," Blaine whispered to Kurt as they made their way over.

"I'll just use my dad's old threat and tell every boy at Cordelier Academy that her grandfather has a shotgun and isn't afraid to use it," Kurt whispered back.

"You going to tell the boys the same for Ben?" Blaine asked with amusement.

"Nope," Kurt said. "He's still not ready to tell his two gay dads that he's gay. I think we have a little time before he's ready to actually date."

They were stopped by a familiar face before they could reach the front row. "Blaine? Kurt? It's so good to see you!"

"Dave?" Kurt said with no small measure of surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"My daughter is in the glee club," Dave Karofsky said with pride. "My husband, Steve, is… somewhere. I think he took our youngest to the bathroom again. We heard that you two were the driving force behind this whole project and we both wanted to tell you how grateful we are. Celia would be lost without the music program here."

"It was our honor," Blaine said.

"What are you doing these days?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I'm actually the athletics director here," Dave said. "And Steve is a vice president for Ohio Valley Savings and Loan. We moved here from Columbus a couple years ago because of Steve's job. It was good timing though, since Coach Beiste had just taken a job with Bowling Green. So now, I'm coaching football and organizing all the other teams. I know all the jocks and can straighten out any of the homophobic ones before they cause any problems."

Kurt grinned. "You wear your red beret when you patrol the halls these days?"

Dave laughed. "No, but I could. I think it's still packed away in some box or other along with my old letter jacket. How about you two? How have you been? Must be doing pretty well to have funded all this."

"Most of the money for this came from an inheritance my great grandmother left for me," Blaine said. "But we are doing very well. Kurt's been in several great shows on Broadway and has won two Tonys."

"Blaine has recorded a couple albums and has regular gigs at a couple clubs in the city," Kurt said. "And we recently wrote and produced a show together that has been doing really well. We're hoping it will win a few Tonys this summer."

"We also have two kids," Blaine said as he pointed to where their family was waiting. "Ben is 14 and Amy is about to turn 11."

"Looks like they're getting ready to start," Kurt said. "Dave, it was so great to see you. Hopefully we'll have a chance to talk more at the reception afterward."

"I'll look forward to it," Dave said with a sincere smile.

They reached their seats just as the lights began to dim. The next half hour was spent listening to various school board members and politicians pontificate between performances by the glee club. Eventually, however, Mr. Schuster came to the microphone and introduced Kurt. Blaine squeezed his hand and Kurt smiled back at him before standing to go to the stage.

"This is a lot nicer stage than the one we used to perform on," Kurt said with a chuckle as he looked around the auditorium. "My husband Blaine and I were both part of the glee club here at McKinley and I can tell you that the experience changed our lives. It shaped our careers, but more than that, it shaped the men we became.

"The friends I made in glee club I still count as friends, even 15 years later," Kurt continued. "We still get together and call and correspond. Music and performing impacted all of our lives in positive ways. Not all of us became performers. Some went on to be teachers, or lawyers, or businessmen and we even have one politician. But no matter what path we chose, our time performing together taught us some valuable life lessons. We learned that life isn't always fair, but if you work hard and believe in yourself, that you can accomplish great things. We learned that friendship is more valuable than popularity. We learned that not everything has a happy ending, but sometimes you win more than you lose.

"Since we announced that we wanted to name the new performing arts wing after my step-brother, there have been critics who insisted that it was glorifying a young man who died of a drug overdose," Kurt said quietly. "I say that those critics didn't know Finn Hudson. Yes, he made a mistake, but we all make mistakes, especially at 19. But Finn shouldn't be defined by the one mistake that ended his life. He should be remembered for the amazing things he accomplished while he was still alive.

"Finn was the heart of the New Directions 15 years ago," Kurt said. "He, more than anyone, exemplified what power music has on a young person's life. My freshman and sophomore years at this school, before he was my brother, Finn was among the bullies who used to toss me into a dumpster. He was the quarterback of our football team. He was dating the head cheerleader. He was at the top of the high school hierarchy. To an outsider, it might seem like he had everything. But Finn didn't have friends, not real friends who will stick bay you no matter what. His girlfriend was only with him for their popularity.

"And then he joined glee club," Kurt said. "Here he found friends that stuck by him through a pregnancy scare, through losing his popularity. He learned how to be a friend in return. By the time our parents got married, I counted Finn one of my closest friends and was proud when I could call him brother. He learned what it was like to be bullied and tried to stand up for those who were too weak to stand up for themselves. He became a leader in truth, and not just in name, as he held the glee club together through some difficult situations. He found and lost and found real love. And before he died, he made the decision that what he wanted more than anything in the world was to become a teacher and pass on the lessons we had learned in glee to the next generation.

"One night, one mistake, seemingly ended that dream," Kurt said sadly. "But through this wing, through the endowment, Finn's legacy can do what he couldn't do in life. He can help other kids learn the power of music. He can be both an example and a cautionary tale.

"In his short life, Finn Hudson touched many lives and I'm proud to call him my brother," Kurt said.

As he finished his prepared speech, people began filing onto the stage, from the audience, from the wings, from the hall outside. Every glee member who had either been on the team with Finn, or who had been on the team Blaine's senior year, when Finn had volunteered to help, had come from all over the country to be there and pay tribute to him. Puck, Rachel, Mike, Tina, Artie, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Matt, Sam, Mercedes, Sugar, Joe, Wade, Jake, Ryder, Marley, Kitty and even Rory had come.

Blaine joined Kurt near the front of the assembled group and they all began to sing, with Rachel taking the first lines and the others all taking turns as they sang the song that had started it all and would be forever a memorial to glee club and to Finn Hudson:

Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world

She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit

He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room

A smell of wine and cheap perfume

For a smile they can share the night

It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard

Their shadows searching in the night

Streetlights people, living just to find emotion

Hiding, somewhere in the night.

Working hard to get my fill,

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice,

Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on

(Chorus)

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on

Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'

Hold on to the feelin'

Streetlights people

Don't stop!

**The End**


End file.
